Idiots In Love
by ILiveForBL
Summary: Aomine and Kise became close friends in Teiko but later they fell apart. After they reunite, they develop feelings for each other and start dating. As these two dorks take things slow, their love for one another grows. (Also on Ao3) AoKise.
1. Blue meets Yellow

**Hello readers, this is my first ever fiction. I am a newbie and still learning and improving my skills. Constructive criticism is very much appreciated. This work of fiction is also active on Ao3. You can look me up in there.**

 **Thank you very much.**

 **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

Aomine was in the classroom getting bored with whatever the teacher was teaching, his one hand resting under his chin and he was about to fall asleep but suddenly the bell rang effectively removing the sleepy haze he was in. It was the lunch break.

He took out his bentou and Satsuki came from the next classroom and sat in the front desk of Aomine's which was currently vacant. She turned around and asked "Dai chaaan, what have you brought for lunch today?"

Aomine rolled his eyes and what about to say something when they were interrupted by a group of girls who were talking about a certain blonde model, a little too loudly and giggling at the same time.

They all seemed a bunch of fangirls going crazy over a model in their school. Aomine didn't really care about that stuff. Satsuki told him that there's a model in our school and his name is Kise Ryouta, who was pretty famous among the girls and boys were jealous because he was hogging up all of the attention.

He told Satsuki that he didn't care about such stuff, voicing out his thoughts. After he had his lunch in a quick fashion, and went to the next class to visit Tetsu.

Tetsu, during the days became a good friend with him. They practiced basketball together after the club activities came to an end.

Exiting the classroom he saw some girls flocking over a blonde boy who was all smiles and sunshine and laughing with them. The girls were asking for his autograph and fawning over him and he realized that this boy is Kise Ryouta.

Aomine noticed how his eyelashes were like a girl's and his eyes were a golden honey brown colour which suited his face, his hair golden blonde, he was tall but a few inches shorter than him, his skin was pale white, a contrast to Aomine's tanned skin and thought, 'Well, isn't he pretty for a model'. He actually thought that he looks pretty adorable.

Aomine just stood there staring at Kise for a moment until after someone accidentally bumped into him, apologized to him. He was snapped out of the daze he was in and realized he was staring hard but glad that he wasn't caught and he forgot why did he even come outside and went back to his classroom that the bell rang and the break came to an end.

During the next lecture, he was pretty bored and he looked outside the window and saw a mop of blonde hair playing Football and Aomine thought to himself, 'He's into sports too'. He thought that he blonde's hand must be full with modelling and didn't have much time for other activities. He noticed that the blonde looks rather bored while playing a outdoor sport, he was barely panting and he saw Kise make a goal and thought he makes it look easy.

'Well, whatever' he thought to himself.

One day as Aomine was outside of the basketball court with a basketball in his hand, he saw Kise pass by, he thought to himself he needed some kind of interaction with the model.

Without thinking he flung his basketball at the blonde's head effectively hitting it as he knew he never misses his shots and the blonde yelped a little and muttered, "That hurt", he turned around and saw a tanned boy standing in front of him.

Aomine waved and said "Hey you're that model, Kise Ryouta, right? Could you pass the ball?" Kise does so and Aomine went inside the basketball court thinking 'Why did I have to do that?, that wasn't necessary at all' .

Kise was surprised and thought that he never tried his hand at basketball.

So one day he decided to go in the court as he made his way he saw that boy who hit him with a head was moving around his opponent skilfully, dribbling and dunking the ball in with expertise and was mesmerized by the boy and his style of basketball.

His eyes went wide and was in awe and thought it was an amazing dunk. The tanned boy looked really cool during that dunk.

Kise stood there thinking he had to try basketball and copy the move the move that was made by the tanned boy. Aomine turned around and saw him standing near the entrance and wondered what's he doing here.

Over the next few days, Kise started practising basketball in order to get into 1st string of Teiko's basketball team and he successfully earned a position in the team.

Aomine taught Kise how to play basketball and then later Kuroko was appointed to be in charge of the blonde.

Aomine was impressed with Kise, he was a quick learner for someone who never played basketball and thought he had true talent. He tend to copy moves skilfully making shots left and right. He still had a long way to go but really really good for an amateur.

Aomine noticed that Kise can change his personality real quick.

He can go from a happy go lucky cheerful boy to the most serious person (while playing basketball). Kise can be intense when he wants too. He found this amusing and wondered how he would be in different situations.

Kise tend to add the suffix 'cchi' at the end of a person's name who he respected and acknowledged. Aomine at first thought it was childish but later he became used to it and he came to like being called "Aomine-cchi..." in the whiny voice of Kise and thought how endearing he is.

Aomine and Kise had become good friends over the time, they had fun together being the idiots of the team, they fooled around after club activities sometimes. Being with Kise came so natural for Aomine, it felt so natural and he enjoyed the blonde's company.

They ate their lunch together on the roof, walked home together as the distance between their respective homes wasn't much, just a 10 min walk. They also occasionally had popsicles.

They had one on one's whenever Kise requested on a daily basis, Kise never won but Aomine was happy that he can keep up with his fast pace.

He liked to tease and bully the blonde and enjoy his reactions, expressions, his pouts, his laugh, his whiny voice. He understood why the blonde is model, he thought Kise was adorable and attractive, even his mannerisms were cute.

Aomine stole his food, flung basketballs at him whenever the opportunity arrived, sometimes had an arm around his shoulder like it was the most natural thing to do and enjoyed the company.

But there were some annoying things when it comes to Kise, Aomine thought to himself. Kise fawned over Tetsu and always clung to him calling "Kuroko-cchi." Whenever Kise does this thing he flung a basketball at his head and thought _'Can't he keep his hands to himself_?!' and he doesn't need to cling onto Tetsu every goddamn time.

Kise was an outgoing and popular guy and had a lot of friends outside the basketball club, so when girls grabbed his arms, clung onto him and pushed their boobs towards the blond, that was annoying. Aomine thought again, _'can't he shrug them off instead of paying attention to them'_.

Sometimes, Kise's cellphone kept on ringing non stop with the text messages of some fangirls and Kise replied to them so earnestly with a smile on his face. ' _Ugh, so annoying!'._

These little things bothered Aomine...

One day at lunch break, Kise was about to enter Aomine's classroom to meet and have lunch with him on the roof,as usual.

As kise made his way into the classroom, he was interrupted by a guy taller than him and he flung an arm around his shoulder and started talking to him and laughing, seeing this Aomine was really annoyed thought only he can put his arm around Kise's shoulder and what's the other guy doing getting so chummy chummy with Kise.

Aomine tried to sigh his annoyance away.

He got up from his seat, walked upto Kise and glared at the other guy, he asked Kise to hurry up and eat our lunch before the break ends. Kise freed himself from the other guy, bid the other guy bye and followed Aomine like a puppy.

They ate peacefully enjoying each other's company, Kise babbling about various things and Aomine just quietly listens to him, smiling between their conversations and responding whenever Kise asked him something..

Aomine's thoughts were mostly occupied by Basketball so he never thought too deeply about his feelings towards Kise and enjoyed being friends with him, and simply enjoyed this time with him. He never questioned himself as to why he felt that way...


	2. Getting Familiar With Families

Kise was absolutely fond of the tanned boy, he completely admired him since they moment he saw him make that dunk. He was the one who inspired him to play basketball after all and he was so glad to meet someone like him, someone who lit a fire inside of him, someone who challenged him, someone who never lost to him at a sport.

Kise was fond of Kuroko too but he sensed that his fondness for Kuroko and for Aomine was somewhat different.

While Kise respected both he also felt somewhat differently towards Aomine, Kise couldn't figure out what it was. He obviously thought that Aomine was just way too cool and charming.

Aomine was just...was just.. Kise just couldn't figure out the right words for his feelings. He was sure that he found the navy haired boy adorable and kind of attractive.

Kise found out that Aomine was afraid of ghosts, of course Kuroko ratted him out and at which Aomine obviously declined, getting embarrassed at the revelation. Kise thought he was just way too cute for a guy like Aomine and maybe a bit tsundere.

Kise, Aomine and Kuroko somewhat became a trio, they hung out together after club activities but sometimes Kuroko would just disappear out of their sight and Kise and Aomine thus came to spend a lot of time together.

Kise was so happy being friends with the GoM members especially with Aomine and Kuroko.

On a particular evening when they finished their basketball practice and when his teammates made their way out of the shower rooms, Kise called out to Aomine...

"Aomine-cchi..."

"What?"

"Ne, Aomine-cchi, wanna come to my house today-ssu?"

"What? Why?'"Aomine looked confused.

"Just like that, I want you to meet my family and have dinner."

"Why?'"Aomine asked again while tilting his head a little to the left side...

"I like my closest friends to meet my family-ssu!"

"If that's the case then why don't you invite Tetsu too?"

"Eh? Kuroko-cchi? Oh you're right, I'll invite him too..."

Kise looked around and saw no one there, noticing that all the GoM members left.

"Looks like Kuroko-cchi left too..."

"Come on, Aomine-cchi, It would be so much fun-ssu~"

"Ughh, fine." Aomine thought, Who was he to refuse a free dinner?! Besides he didn't mind the blonde's company.

Aomine quickly called his mother and told her, he will be late as he his going to his friend's house for dinner and not to bother to make his share of dinner and put his phone away.

While walking home, Aomine wanted to tease him for some reason and asked:

"So, sunshine, tell me about your family..."

Kise gave him a shocked look and embarrassed look, both at the same time which made Aomine want to tease him more and Kise said him

"Wha...sun...sunshine? Ao-Aomine-cchi, that's so embarrassing" while blushing a little.

"Hah? What's embarrassing in that? You always run around with your blonde hair in the sun...so you feel like sunshine and sunflowers to me." He ended that sentence with a laugh.

"Wha...Aomine,cchi, you're such a sap'" Kise said getting flustered and even more embarrassed.

Aomine pretended to get annoyed with that statement and grabbed his neck and yanked him towards him and ruffled his hair, a little roughly while saying "Why you little..."

Kise interrupted him and said,

"And well, if I'm like sunshine, then you're like fire." Kise said in a genuine tone.

"Huh? Why?" Aomine asked him,

"Because you lit a fire inside me, you're really cool, Aomine-cchi." Kise said beaming at his face.

"Wha..." Now it was Aomine's turn to get embarrassed.

"Now look who's being the sap here..." Aomine said.

Kise laughed a little at that and proceeded to tell him that he has 2 older sisters, one of them got him into modelling and how she was a model herself. Aomine hummed in response.

As they were nearing the Kise residence, a sudden realization hit Aomine. "Wait...Shit, I'm about to meet his parents and his sisters, why am I realizing that now? I knew I'm meeting them but didn't think THEY ARE KISE'S FAMILY...I hope I don't mess up and embarrass myself."

He felt nervous all of a sudden and they reached Kise residence, Kise rang the door bell and a lady came into view, who he thought might be in her 20s, she was average height and had a head full of blonde hair which were up to her shoulders with golden eyes.

Aomine thought she was like female version of Kise.

Aomine thought that she must be one of Kise's sister. Kise entered and Aomine followed him, Kise said 'I'm back' and in response he got "Welcome home, Ryouta."

The name Ryouta sounded foreign to Aomine's ears. He only ever heard Kise being addressed by his given name by that bastard Haizaki... which he preferred to stay the hell away from. He just wasn't worth his time.

Aomine muttered "Sorry for the intrusion."

Kise quickly introduced Aomine to his sister and told her he is one of his good friend and a basketball team mate. And in turn, Kise introduced his sister to Aomine.

Aomine further proceeded to greet her,

"K-K-Konichiwa ,I'm Aomine Daiki. It's nice to meet you." Aomine smiled at her, rather awkwardly.

Kise's sister laughed a little and said "Oh...you're stuttering, you're so cute" to which Aomine blushed a little and said "I'm not cute, I'm a guy."

Kise said, "That's something Midorima-cchi would say, Aomine-cchi." Kise said with an amused tone.

Aomine gave him a little glare.

Kise's sister laughed again and responded with "Guys can be cute too" with a genuine smile on her face.

Aomine was about to say something that Kise interrupted their conversation said "Nee-san don't tease him" while giving a sweet smile and took Aomine inside.

Aomine then met his mom and his other sister. Aomine thought there are 3 Kise look alike in this home, it was a bit overwhelming for him. There were 3 kise, 8 golden honey-brown eyes, 3 head full of blonde hair, their eyelashes curved near the end and they all were cute, it was somehow too much for the tanned haired boy but he kept his cool and wondered just how his father would look like.

Kise said his father wasn't home and was at job and he might arrive late. Aomine gave him a simple okay.

Kise turned around and said to his mom, "We'll be upstairs, mom. Call out when the dinner's ready." His mom said a simple okay in response.

Kise and Aomine went upstairs to his room. Aomine noticed how his room was neat and tidy unlike his. There were some basketball magazines along with his own photo book. Aomine was torn between his desire to roll his eyes at the sight and to actually look through it.

They played video games for a while at which Kise won. They played Mario kart. Kise was too happy at the fact that he won. Aomine never played the game and Kise teased him and poked fun at him. Aomine thought he looks so cute over winning a silly game and wanted to ruffle his hair.

They were interrupted by a shrill voice which Aomine thought was Kise's mom and informing them that the dinner's ready.

They went downstairs to see the delicious dinner ready for them to eat. During dinner, Aomine also met Kise's father and greeted him.

Aomine noticed how Kise's father has blonde hair too but his eyes were more of a brown shade and his eyelashes were normal. He was tall and a little aged.

The dinner was pleasant and Kise was enjoying every moment of it. He was too happy that Aomine came and he was having fun.

Aomine found out that Kise's family was a lively one. His family supported his modelling career and supported basketball as well. They doted on the blonde boy. He thought, 'Well, who wouldn't dote on him?'

Dinner went by and Aomine thought it was pretty late and was getting ready to leave, he greeted Kise's family goodbye and told them that the dinner was delicious. The kise family told him he can come anytime he wanted.

Aomine left and greeted Kise goodbye and sighed as he thought 'Well that was overwhelming but pleasant and lively, he liked the Kise family'.

Over the coming days, Aomine had dinner over the Kise residence a lot of times and the family became fond of him. They found out that he was a good boy and he found himself being teased by Kise's older sister at times which was kind of annoying but he didn't mind it entirely.

At times, Kise invited Kuroko and Aomine both and enjoyed how his family reacted to the phantom boy and told them that he can scare people whenever he had the opportunity to pop out at the most unpredictable moments.

* * *

Aomine also wanted Kise to visit his home. His parents always complained that he never invited any of his friends over.

So, Aomine, casually invited Kise to dinner at his home. Kise got way too excited at the fact that he got invited by Aomine and was excited to meet his parents.

Kise knew that Aomine was an only child.

As soon as they entered the Aomine residence, Kise was greeted with a woman in 40s who had dark blue hair with navy blue eyes and she soon recognized him as a model. She was kind of excited to see there's a model at her home. At which Aomine rolled his eyes.

He greeted Aomine's father, who had black hair but blue eyes, they went upstairs to found Aomine's room in a messy state which honestly didn't surprise Kise at all and showed him some basketball magazines and had conversation about trivial things which mostly consisted of basketball.

Later they had their dinner in peace as he noticed that Aomine's parents were kind of cheerful and peace loving people. He noticed that his parents were supportive of his basketball career when he started playing the sport as a child and wouldn't mind if he became a pro or got into NBA.

Kise smiled at that thought and was happy for Aomine.

Kise had dinner occasionally at Aomine residence too.

Just as Kise's family liked Aomine, Aomine's family liked Kise. They loved the happy go lucky character of the blonde and was charmed by him.

Aomine thought, 'Honestly though, is there anybody who wouldn't be charmed by the blonde?' God knows, he himself is charmed by him.

Aomine's mother loved the blonde, he could talk to her about fashion and the latest trends, he would help her out in the kitchen, take selfies with her, share stories and gossip of his modelling career.

Days went by, like this peacefully...

* * *

Little did they know, these days were coming to an end...This happiness wouldn't last forever.


	3. The Teiko separation

It was the final year at Teiko school.

They reached a point where they continuously won basketball matches without much competition.

Their opponents witnessed their monstrous abilities, at times, they gave up in the middle of the match, lost all hope, became discouraged and disappointed.

Aomine noticed how the opponents just gave up, they told him that no one will be able to beat him. And it affected him, he suffered, his motivation and will to play basketball was highly discouraged. Aomine was extremely frustrated, even a bit angry at the opponents.

He was frustrated to the point of feeling despair.

The head coach of the team did motivate Aomine and advised him, not to give up, his uneasiness will not go away easily, he advised him not to waste the talent he possessed. He encouraged him saying that he will face a worthy opponent one day and the passion will make its return.

So he continued to play...they won matches, Aomine played but his frustrations didn't fade away...

Suddenly the head coach was hospitalized and the coach of the team was made the head coach. The new coach was worried about Aomine, he saw the frustration and somehow had a fear that Aomine would quit the team.

He told him that if he didn't want to, he didn't have to come to practice anymore. And that he still needs to play in the games and just by winning, he would have no complaints.

At this statement, Aomine felt even a greater despair. He started changing at this moment...

As the shadow and a friend, Kuroko decided to confront him, told him to go to practice but Aomine denied saying the doesn't need to practice anymore, he would always win no matter what. It didn't matter if the ball was passed to him by Kuroko, he told Kuroko that he doesn't even remember how to receive passes from him anymore.

* * *

Everybody on the team was changing.

Following Aomine, Akashi went through a huge change himself. During his one-on-one with Murasakibara, he fell apart in two personalities.

Nobody would have ever guessed that such a change could be brought upon. It was heartbreaking but scary to see the change he went through. He became an entirely different person.

After the one-on-one with Murasakibara, Akashi told Kise and Midorima that they didn't need to come to practise either.

From that point on, the team started falling apart.

It's not as if Kise didn't change himself, he did. He too felt the lack of motivation. He felt boredom again but the fire didn't extinguish within him.

They stopped the team play and focused solely on winning the game without much interaction towards each other and relied on themselves. The team became heartless.

Just for the sake of amusement the team sort out to rude tricks. They placed bets on who would score most within the team, they let the opponents score, crushing their hearts. Kise was no exception to this, he too became emotionless like others under his cheerful tone.

But Midorima was different from them, he didn't change much. He never really cared for those tricks, telling them that how those things was utter nonsense. He never skipped practices either. He only improved his basketball skills without engaging in 'amusement'.

Aomine skipped practice to hang out and sleep at the roof, Kise skipped practise and did some modelling instead, Murasakibara skipped practice to munch on snacks.

Then there was Kuroko, he just couldn't adjust to this change. He wanted to play as a team. He cried at Aomine's indifference, at Akashi's change, at the sight that the team was falling apart.

Aomine stopped attending the practice matches and only showed up at the competitions. He came to the conclusion that the only one who can beat him is him.

Everybody on the team became very strong individually. They became unstoppable monsters and they reached a point where was just no need for them to rely on each other.

The matches they had were void of enjoyment. They won easily so they didn't care. There were no passes, no laughter, no smiles, no hi fives, no fist bumps. These things came to a stop. Winning the matches was like breathing air to them. They won without breaking a sweat.

They became national champions consecutively 3 years in a row.

Everybody else thought that they were amazing and just a perfect team, the dream team, no team would ever be strong as them. Little did they know that they were far from perfect. A team can't be perfect without team play.

* * *

The one-on-one's with Kise became less frequent. Frustratingly, Kise asked Aomine,

"Aomine-cchi, let's play one-on-one..."

Aomine quickly replied 'It's too much work'

"Tooo much woooork!" Kise repeated the sentence while dragging the sentence.

"Idiooooot, I've had enough, Aomine-cchi is an idioooot!" Kise said in a frustrating tone.

Aomine got annoyed and replied "Huh? Oi, you bastard, who the hell are you calling an idiot?"

"It was a joke, just a joke, you don't have to be so serious, ssu."

Aomine hmph'd in response.

Aomine didn't see the flash of hurt which went by Kise's face. Kise was sad, his friend was cold to him, didn't talk much, got annoyed at every little thing and sometimes was so apathetic.

Kise always kept bugging Aomine to spend time with him or have one-on-ones with him, Kise has always been the one chasing Aomine. But all he ever got was rejection after this ordeal.

Kise tried again, at the roof,

"Aomine-cchi, lets's play one-on-one!"

Aomine yelled at him, "Kise, stop it already. How many times do I have to reject you to get it through your thick skull that I don't want to play with you anymore?!"

"You are so annoying, everything is just so fucking annoying, just go away."

"Aomi-"

I said, "GO AWAY, KISE."

Kise stared at him in shock, he was honestly taken aback. He lowered his head letting his fringe cover his eyes, then said a simple "Okay" and left shutting the door of the roof behind him.

Walking away, Kise thought Aomine has called him annoying but never yelled at him and he said those words with such malice.

He got hurt, he was hurt that Aomine told him that he didn't want to play with him, that sentence pierced his heart, he told him to go away and called him annoying. His chest feels painful, as if someone was squeezing his heart.

After Kise left, it took a moment for Aomine to realize what he had just done. He swallowed hard and rubbed his eyes. He saw him leave but made no attempts to make him stop or didn't chase after him.

He knew he messed up, real bad. He realized he hurt the blonde. But felt it's too late to go after him. Aomine regretted saying those words.

That was the last time Kise asked Aomine to play with him. It was their last conversation.

* * *

They stopped hanging out together.

There were no shared lunches, no one-on-ones, no dinner at each other's house, stopped going home together, stopped having popsicles.

They didn't hang out at the roof together. Aomine slept most of the time on the roof and Kise didn't seek him out. They both stopped talking outside of the basketball matches. Kise put up a front and played normally with Aomine.

It felt as if everything was coming to an end.

Kise missed Aomine, wanted to cry but held back his tears. He wanted to reach out to Aomine. He was sad not just as a close friend but also as a basketball player.

He felt bad about Aomine's change, the sport that he loves so much stopped being challenging. It stopped getting him excited. This all seemed too familiar to Kise. Aomine stopped smiling and had a scowl plastered to his face all the time. He looked miserable sometimes.

It's not as if Kise didn't understand about his lack of motivation, oh he did, he knew this feelings better than anyone, when something stops being challenging, stop exciting you, and eventually you become bored. He understood Aomine very well.

Kise was feeling bored and de-motivated with Basketball as well but what he couldn't bear to see was the attitude of Aomine which was affecting his friendship with him, with others. He drifted apart even from Satsuki, his childhood friend.

Kise wanted to help him but didn't know how. He wanted to fix things but didn't know how. Wanted to do something, anything but had no idea how.

He wanted to say something, he felt useless thinking 'If I can't help him when he's down, then what kind of a friend am I?' He felt useless and guilty.

He had no idea how to fix things...fix him. So Kise just stood there, watching his friendship with Aomine fall apart.

Kise really did want to cry at this point, but he didn't, he clenched his fists, bit his inner cheek, gritted his teeth whenever he was on the verge of tears. But he didn't cry, he vowed to himself that he wouldn't cry, no matter what.

Kise thought crying at this point would be like admitting defeat. He decided to believe in Aomine and convinced himself that he will be back to his old self, someday. He will change again but for good. So he decided to wait for as long as it takes.

Kuroko told Kise that Aomine will find someone more amazing than him and will prove to be a true challenge.

So for now, he bid his time and waited for someone for anyone to prove him wrong, to excite him, to challenge him. Truth be told, Kise wanted to be that certain someone. He wanted to be a worthy opponent to Aomine.

* * *

And now all he can do and have was hope in himself, in Aomine or maybe, just maybe, someone else.

Aomine ignored everybody like a plague. Ignored Kuroko but more importantly Kise. He'd be lying if he didn't think about the blonde every now and then but his mind was filled with frustration and despair.

He noticed that the blonde tried to reach out to him but Aomine just didn't want him to. He pushed him away whenever the blonde approached him. He outright rejected him.

Aomine kind of missed the blonde too and might have felt a bit regretful, deep down in his heart he knew he was being cold and he knew he hurt the blonde but did nothing about it as he thought, _'It's just not the same anymore...it just isn't'_.

He , hated himself for his behaviour with the blonde...But he thought bitterly, _'It's all over now...isn't it?'_

This continued...They team fell apart without ever loosing.

And then it did happen, everything came to an end. The last time they met was at the graduation ceremony.

At the graduation ceremony, in the basketball court, Akashi told Midorima, Kise, Murasakibara and Aomine that they will face each other as opponents in basketball matches. Akashi told them that he wanted to compare their strengths and to make sure that there is no one stronger than them. Akashi also told them that Kuroko will be joining this particular battle albeit his goals are different.

And everybody went their way, Aomine and Kise didn't talk at the ceremony, Kise knew he wanted to but thought he didn't want to bother Aomine. They all separated and took a vow to meet each other as opponents.

They all graduated from Teiko and went separate paths.

They were all scouted to go different schools.

Kise went to Kaijo high, Aomine went to Touou Academy, Akashi went to Rakuzan high, Midorima went to Shuutoku high, Kuroko went to Seirin high and Murasakibara went to Yosen high.

* * *

Kuroko became determined to proof that basketball was a team sport and they will rely on each other again to win. He wanted to see the smiles on their faces when they played, wanted to see teamwork and he knew he will achieve that somehow...and with that determination he moved forward.


	4. Facing each other as opponents

As soon as Kise got transferred to Kaijo which was in Kanagawa prefecture, he moved out of his parent's house and rented an apartment with his older sister. His older sister took modelling gigs in Kanagawa and as well as Tokyo. His sister insisted to share an apartment together as she does work in Kanagawa and his new school happens to be in the same prefecture. She sometimes got Kise some modelling gigs even though Kise had a manager of his own. She liked to give him opportunities to model at various shoots.

When Kise first went to Kaijo, he was nervous. It was a new school, new city, new classmates, new teammates, basically new everything. Even though Kise is an out-going guy, he still got nervous over such things. But he was pretty confident as he knew everything's going to be alright.

Kise joined the basketball team for which he was scouted for. The first impression he made on his teammates was tacky. As he introduced himself, the teammates couldn't help but wonder how a tacky guy like him was a member of Generation of Miracles. His tacky introduction earned a kick from the captain of the team, his senpai, Yukio Kasamatsu.

Kise liked his new teammates. He had fun with them and liked playing with them. His senpai is a strict and responsible captain. Kise might have underestimated the captain but his captain 'disciplined' him. But he grew to respect his senpai.

The Kaijo basketball team was filled with idiots, there was one idiot where his mind was only occupied with girls and wanted to play to impress them, Yoshitaka Moriyama, one idiot was way too hyper and nobody could understand what he says, Mitsuhiro Hayakawa, Kōji Kobori and Shinya Nakamura are both calm and passionate players and then there was Kise who was constantly occupied with his fan girls.

He always received texts, gifts, lunches, from the lot. They came to cheer Kise but ended up being a distraction for the players. These things happened every day much to Kasamatsu's annoyance. And these things always got Kise kicked.

Kasamatsu knew Kise is a model so he allowed skipping practices but only up to a certain extent.

Amidst all this, Kise can't help but miss Aomine. He thought "Humans are really adaptable, aren't they?!" Kise knew he got used to being here and he was sure Aomine also got used to being at his new school.

He never met Aomine after the graduation ceremony. They didn't contact each other. Kise wondered 'How is Aomine doing?, Is he playing basketball now? Is he slacking off at practices? How is his new school? Is Momoi still with him? How are his parents? Did Aomine's mom miss him? What about his dad? Does he still suck at cleaning his room?' There were many questions he wanted to ask the navy haired boy.

The bitter conversation they had wasn't something Kise could forget but he did think that Aomine was at a frustrating point at his life and maybe that were just some mere words, maybe he shouldn't have been so persistent and given him space. He shook his head every time he started thinking about him in an attempt that they will go away. But Aomine stayed somewhere in the back of his mind.

* * *

Just like Kise, Aomine did get used to his new school. But his disinterest in basketball remained all the same. He skipped practices and hardly ever attended them. He hung out on the roof and was found napping there. Satsuki was with him in the same school. He told her he was sure that she will go to Tetsu's school to which Satsuki replied that she couldn't leave his best friend alone. Aomine only muttered a simple yeah, yeah.

She mostly nagged at him to attend practices, he always evaded her.

The basketball team of Touou included a rather strange group of players. There was an arrogant bastard who only ever thought that the only person who could beat him is himself, a fellow who apologized at the drop of a hat for every little thing, a hyper loud-mouthed player, an evil glasses guy who was way too smart and a calm and focused player. At least one member among the team was normal. Thanks for that.

Aomine as usual stole food from his teammate's bentous, most especially from Sakurai's. And he developed a certain love for gravure models, his favourite model being Horitaka Mai-chan and became enamoured with big boobs.

(Yes, Aomine is still good at being an A class idiot, although it seems like he's become more of an idiot after Teiko)

* * *

Time flew by and it was the time for Inter high tournament. Kise knew he was going to face the tanned boy in a match at some point, at least he hoped so. And he was proven right. After beating Seirin, Touou's next match was with Kaijo.

The news that Kaijo is going to face Touou was thrilling to Kise. Kise was excited to beat Aomine. He had been waiting for this.

On the day of the match, the Kaijo team members entered the court. The first thing Kise did was look at his opponents, feeling the rush of the adrenaline pump through his veins.

This time Kise faced Aomine not as a friend, not as a team mate but as opponents, he didn't care if he lost every one-on-one he ever had with the tanned boy. He was determined to win. He was going to give it all...No matter what!

All the unnecessary feelings were forgotten during the match.

Kise walked towards Aomine and said, "I'm definitely winning tonight Aomine-cchi, I won't lose." With a smirk on his face. His determination was evident.

Aomine smirked back and replied, "Hah, keep on dreaming, Kise, you've always lost to me and you will lose today too."

Kise narrowed his eyes and replied confidently, "Not today."

Aomine replied with a smug face, "That's really cute, Kise but don't forget the only one who beats me is me."

Kise was going to retort back but was interrupted by Kasamatsu calling him back as he saw he had said enough. Kise ran back to his side.

* * *

The match started, during the first quarter, Kaijo took the lead but soon enough Touou caught up with him and surpassed Kaijo. Kise and Aomine came face to face multiple times on the court as Kise was guarded by Aomine, had their one-on-one's repeatedly. But Kaijo was struggling to catch up to Touou as the difference between the score was a huge 12 point. During the match, Kise wasn't able to move forward and he realized that at some point that he never wanted Aomine to lose at a match and that part of him made Kise hold back subconsciously. Kise decided to give up on admiring Aomine in order to surpass him, in order to copy him.

And so he did, after bidding his time to notice and observe Aomine's play, Kise managed to copy Aomine's style and his moves perfectly and he kept up with Aomine's pace. He broke past Aomine's guard. Aomine was honestly shocked, even though his teammates warned him about the possibility that Kise might actually copy him, he didn't choose to believe it. But Kise did copy him. Whatever Aomine did, Kise copied. He dribbled the ball, did formless shot, along with many other moves, he copied Aomine at every opportunity. Whenever Aomine scored, Kise scored. But Kaijo still had a gap to close and Kise was getting nowhere even though he scored.

Kise had the ball and was running towards the hoop, Kaijo got a chance to score and to reduce the point difference but Aomine caught up to him In the end, which made Kise re-think his strategy, he wasn't able to break past Aomine in that state and decided to pass the ball to Kasamatsu, he turned around ever so slightly and Aomine knocked the ball right off Kise's hand.

Kise along with everybody couldn't believe that Aomine figured that out, Kise was taken aback.

Aomine told him that he saw Kise glance at Kasamatsu and that simple gesture gave Kise away and Aomine realized what Kise was upto, he told him, he did a nice job of copying him but he decided to rely on his teammates and Aomine's way of basketball doesn't rely on teammates.

Moriyama caught the Basketball and went for a layup but the ball got stolen by Aomine. Aomine quickly grabbed the ball, running across the court but Kise caught up with him in time.

During the final seconds of the fourth quarter, they both grabbed the ball in their hands, neither of them letting it go but Aomine made the dunk, Kise tried to stop the dunk but failed and he came tumbling down, he fell on the court. And it was time's up. The gap just remained the same till the end. The referee whistled announcing that Touou is the winner of the match.

People cheered for Touou, the teammates and the coach of Touou started rejoicing over the victory. But suddenly, everything and everyone came to a standstill when Kise attempted to stand, he couldn't, his fatigue caught up to him. His legs gave out due to the strain on his legs from copying Aomine. He was struggling and he was frustrated. He was frustrated that he couldn't even get up, he was frustrated that he lost to Aomine, frustrated that his team lost. They all worked so hard but the ace failed. He pummelled his fist on the court once, his frustration was evident.

Aomine just stood there watching him, watching him struggle. It's not as if he didn't want to help him, he did but he knew that he didn't have the right to help him up. More importantly he didn't want to, he didn't want to comfort the blonde as it was not his place to. It was a very bitter victory to him. Maybe for the first time, Aomine felt this way.

As Aomine saw Kasamatsu approaching Kise to help him up, Aomine lowered his gaze and walked away. He thought 'It's best this way.' Kise didn't need his help, he has other people for that. Kasamatsu offered his hand but Kise couldn't accept it, he was on the verge of tears, Kasamatsu picked Kise up and placed Kise's arm on his shoulder, to help him stand and walk. He supported Kise.

The minute he was picked up, Kise's tears fell, he cried at the fact that they lost, he lost to Aomine. They all wanted to win so bad, they all worked and practiced hard.

Kasamatsu encouraged him, told him he did well and he can still face Aomine and Touou at the Winter cup, it isn't over yet. Kasamatsu is a proud captain, he didn't want his teammates to lose hope and he always encouraged and motivated the team when it was needed.

Aomine didn't see that sight, he didn't want to. He didn't want to see Kise cry, he knew the blonde gave it all but couldn't face him. Imayoshi asked Aomine that "Aren't you going to say something to your former teammate?" At which Aomine scoffed and replied "Don't make fun of me, that there's nothing a winner could say to a loser."

And he was right, there's indeed nothing a winner could say to a loser and if he did, his words and actions would come out to pity. And Aomine Daiki isn't a person who shows pity to his opponents. And he'll be damned if he ever pitied the blond. The blond is a strong player. Pitying him would look like he looked down on the blonde and he never looked down on Kise.

Aomine knew, right now it was best for Kise to be with his teammates. So he left Kise to his teammates, they do a good job of supporting their ace.

After the match, Aomine left quickly, he didn't go his teammates. He wasn't in the mood for a petty celebration. There were a lot of things going on his mind. During the match, he realized the blonde had gotten stronger and better, he felt proud at that. But it was expected, what was unexpected to Aomine that Kise copied his moves and style, rather skilfully.

Aomine knew he had a higher level but couldn't use it against Kise, he wasn't able to. He had a soft spot for his former teammate.

He might have felt a bit jealous, just a bit, at the thought of Kasamatsu helping and supporting Kise but he knew it was for the right thing. And the pass Kise tried to make to Kasamatsu irritated him further. "Damn that senpai of his." He thought.

He was thinking how the blond is doing now? Is he okay? He wondered when will be the next time he faced Kise, in the next match, how the blonde would play, his techniques, wondered who else he would copy perfectly. He smiled at the thought of seeing and facing Kise again.

Kise, on the other hand, was exiting the premises of the tournament with his teammates but noticed Kasamatsu's absence and decided to go back but Moriyama stopped him. Kasamatsu was crying due to the loss in the locker room. Kise thought to himself that if he has time to go back, he should just use it to get stronger.

Kise met his mom who was standing at the tournament entrance, she told him "Don't be discouraged, you will beat Aomine-kun, next time." Kise told her, "You sound like my captain." His mom chucked softly and said, "I'm proud of you, you're a really strong player, in this little time, you have become amazing at basketball, you're an ace and you didn't get bored of it, Ryouta." Which was an amazing thing, really.

Kise told her that he didn't expect to see her here, at which his mom pinched his cheek and said, "I'm your mom, I'll come to your matches when I can, your dad and sister might not be able to come as they work, Ryouta." Kise then thanked her, she invited him to have dinner at their house, and told him that his dad and his sister misses him. Kise refused her and told her that he needs to go to Kanagawa and practice as soon as possible. "Don't push yourself too hard, Ryouta and come by once in a while." she told him while smiling softly. Kise nodded and left to go to Kanagawa with his teammates.

* * *

Kise became determined again to face and defeat Aomine and Touou.


	5. The decision to confront

The next time Kise met Aomine was at the Winter cup, in their second year. Where Akashi summoned for all the GoM members to meet before the tournament began. Aomine just sat on stairs with his back facing Kise.

Kise's cell phone kept ringing and Aomine got irritated, saying that his phone's annoying. Kise said that it's a text from a fan girl to which Aomine replied, "Go die." Yeah, some things never change for Aomine. What's annoying will stay annoying.

Akashi just wanted to confirm that the promise they made at Teiko wasn't forgotten and left soon after scaring Kagami with Midorima's scissors.

* * *

It was Seirin Vs Touou.

The match was intense, everybody witnessed that the ace of the Touou went into The Zone followed by Kagami. Aomine reached his full potential in this match and everybody witnessed his true form as he went into The Zone. Kagami proved to be a worthy opponent that his Teiko head coach told him about, that Kuroko told him about, that Kise thought, which he hoped that, that person would be himself.

Sadly, Touou was defeated by the combined effort of Kagami, Kuroko and the Seirin.

Aomine realizes in a daze that he lost for the first time, Aomine felt as if time had slowed down for a moment, he never believed that he could lose but he soon accepted the loss. Aomine's facial expression changed for the first time into that of sadness. His scowl disappeared. Aomine lowered his gaze in defeat but Kagami made sure to encourage him by saying that this isn't the end and things are just getting started.

Kuroko proved to Aomine that team play at the end, was the best. It will lead you to victory. A kind of victory that fills your heart with happiness, that makes your chest swell up with pride. A victory which can be celebrated with the entire team because everybody contributes and it's because of the team effort that they won.

The fist bump he shared with Kuroko after he lost the match which was long over due, somehow mended their relation, as if that particular simple gesture had conveyed many emotions at once.

Aomine felt too many things at once, he felt loss, he remembered how Kuroko told him that he will meet someone more amazing than him, who will challenge him and return his will to play the sport he loved wholeheartedly, he felt sadness, his chest tightened with the pain. Losing at a Basketball match was something new and foreign to him and he have to completely come into terms with that.

* * *

Although Aomine knew that, if he had a one-one-one with Kagami, Aomine would be victorious. So his popular notion, 'The only one who can beat me is me' wasn't eliminated.

* * *

Kise was in the audience watching the match. He too felt a wave of emotions. He was happy and sad. Happy that Seirin won and Sad that Touou lost. Happy that now Aomine has lost, maybe things will change. The hope he had has not been extinguished.

He was sad also at the thought that he won't be able to play against Aomine in the Winter cup but he decided to make his peace with the fact that Aomine was beaten by Seirin. Plus, there are other tournaments where he'll be able to face Aomine as an opponent, again.

He was shocked but at the same time believed in Seirin. Shocked because that was the first time, he has seen Aomine has lose. He believed in Seirin, he rooted for them to bring the change Aomine.

He felt jealousy but was relieved, jealous at the fact where Kuroko and more importantly Kagami was the one who might be the reason for upcoming change of Aomine. Together it was Seirin who defeated Aomine. But relieved at the fact that now Aomine's will to play basketball will return and increase and he might attend practice matches.

He was overwhelmed by these emotions. He remembered all those moments he shared with Aomine in Teiko, his heart was beating fast, his chest felt painful. He clutched at his shirt, trying to calm his nerves down, took a deep breath and exhaled rather dramatically.

He smiled and now wished that things would get better. He wanted that fire to be lit again in Aomine and he sincerely hoped that this defeat of Touou will change that.

Above all, Kise wanted to be friends with him, again. Kise wanted him back in his life. He wanted to let go of the past and move forward.

* * *

Aomine Daiki was a boy who was good at many things. Those things included Basketball, appreciating big boobs, reading gravure magazines, catching crayfishes, and sleeping. But there was one thing he wasn't good at and that was dealing with emotions. He felt a surge of emotions well within him.

He was at his home, on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was nearly 2am. He knew he had to sleep anyhow, but he had way too much baggage in mind.

His mind was occupied with Basketball, with the match, he started accepting Kuroko's way of basketball. But to actually trust his teammates completely...Aomine wasn't sure that that would happen in an instant. Maybe slowly he will try to bond with his team and gain trust and trust them as well. It is a hard task to do but he will make an effort. He decided he will try hard to rely on them.

He was also thinking about his Teiko school days and Kise. He realized that he won't be able to play with Kise at the Winter cup but there will be other chances. He remembered a certain incident with the blonde where he was clearly hurt. That conversation on the roof, the moments he shared with Kise where he ended up pouting and whining, where he beamed at Aomine happily, where they had one-on-ones each day, where they had dinner at each other's house every now and then, those incidents flashed in Aomine's mind again and again.

Too many questions bombarded him when all he wanted to do was sleep. So what does a normal 16 year old do? He procrastinates. Aomine thought he would just sort out these feelings of his later.

He was exhausted and tired, both mind and body, his eyes were tired, his body ached, he closed his eyes, sleep finally welcoming him.

* * *

Since Aomine had lost the match, he hasn't been able to keep his mind off certain things. He kept on thinking about Basketball, the people who he has hurt which were basically his teammates in Touou and at Teiko. And when he means Teiko teammates, he means a certain blonde. He knew he was a jerk to him, he knew Kise wanted to help him and reach out to him back then, he knew he had rejected the boy, thereby hurting him.

He somehow wanted to mend the relationship with the blonde but he had no idea how to. Aomine isn't good at dealing with such situations, he might be good at ignoring them though. Admist all this, Satsuki told him that the next match is Kaijo Vs Fukuda.

Aomine has always hated that bastard Haizaki with a burning passion. He thought always that Haizaki is a disgusting guy and he tends to use violence. He also knew that Haizaki didn't get along with Kise as they were at crossroads with each other in Teiko. Haizaki is that shitty basketball player where it didn't matter to him if he chose to hurt his opponents as long as he won. Aomine was a bit worried about Kise but he had faith in Kise and knew that he will win.

Aomine was somehow dragged to the match by Satsuki. He knew the blonde will win, people like Haizaki didn't deserve a shred of victory and Kise will make sure of that but he cared about the blonde, though he wouldn't be up front about it, he was worried about Kise. So he went along with Satsuki.

* * *

During the match, Fukuda was in the lead but Kise wasn't someone who will give up. Sure at some point, he felt extremely down but Kuroko managed to give Kise hope yelling across the stadium that he believes in him. Aomine was grateful to Kuroko for lifting up Kise's spirits. It's not as if he couldn't do it, he just didn't know how to.

Kise quickly regained his composure and made a comeback with a bang. He managed to perfectly copy Midorima's three pointer ,effectively closing the gap between the scores. He then copied Murasakibara to block Haizaki's dunk.

But the fact that Haizaki is a colossal bastard never changed and his upcoming actions will prove that, he was shaken up at Kise's strength and was desperate to score. He decided to go for an underhanded trick, he stepped on Kise's foot as he was aware of Kise's injury. He took advantage of that fact to stop Kise, Kise grimaced in pain but he won't let Haizaki win, no matter what, he quickly ran and caught up with Haizaki and stopped him from the dunk he was about to make.

In the end, Kaijo won.

Aomine was angry, his blood was boiling but he kept a calm face on the outside. He was with Satsuki and told her to go home on her own. Haizaki had the nerve to hurt Kise, he wanted to beat him up, Kise trained his ass off, he knew Kise never skipped practices at Kaijo after playing against him.

Haizaki had purposefully hurt the blonde to slow him down, this is something Aomine couldn't tolerate. He couldn't tolerate that as a basketball player and as a friend.

After the match ended, Haizaki was waiting for Kaijo players to come out but instead he met Aomine where the tanned boy tells him that Kaijo players won't be out yet. Aomine knew Haizaki's intentions and tells him to back off of Kise, that he and Tetsu worked hard and not to do anything stupid that might interfere with their next match. Haizaki refused to listen and ran toward Aomine to punch him but it was Aomine who knocked out Haizaki at the end.

It was a pathetic sight to see, Haizaki who always indulged in violence being Knocked out by a single punch. Aomine scoffed and left.

He wanted to meet Kise and ask him how he's doing and how's his foot. But he couldn't, there was something holding Aomine back, that was both pride and guilt. He didn't knew how to face the blonde.

* * *

The next match was between Kaijo vs Seirin, during the match, Aomine saw Kise achieve perfect copy of every GOM members moves including Kuroko. Aomine couldn't believe his eyes, the sight was thrilling and enough to raise goosebumps on his tanned skin. Aomine saw Kise copy him along with Akashi, Midorima, Murasakibara and even Kuroko. He felt proud that Kise was copying his moves in order to score, he smirked at that.

In the end, Kaijo lost to Seirin, the blonde was help up again with the help of Kasamatsu. The blonde cried as he lost. Aomine wanted to go and comfort him but he saw Kasamatsu and his other teammates were with him.

Aomine always felt annoyed with Kise's senpai, even though it's his job to support the ace, Aomine still couldn't let go of the fact that he acted too familiarly with the blonde. He also noticed how the blonde was being bullied by that senpai, always getting his ass kicked or getting jabbed in the gut.

Aomine admitted that bullying Kise was fun but the right to bully him doesn't lie with just anybody. Honestly, Aomine just wanted to walk up to the senpai and give him an earful.

Aomine was staring at the blonde who was with his teammates, drinking water and his head was down. The tanned boy wanted to walk up to him and tell him to keep his head high but later he saw Kasamatsu do the same and boy, did it irritate him. Aomine shook his head in an attempt that these thoughts and the irritation will somehow go away.

His thoughts returned back to basketball and Kise's play, he'd be lying if he said that he isn't proud of the blonde. He was very proud, the blonde was an outstanding player and learnt so well in a limited amount of time, he's got natural talent and still works hard.

Aomine thought it was high time to confront the blonde. He thereby came to a firm decision that he will have the blonde back and now he just needs to figure out the way how to achieve that.


	6. The anxiety before the confrontation

After the navy haired boy lost to Seirin, he had been reflecting on his actions.

He was in the classroom, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, his hands crossed and resting on the desk. If anybody were to see the tanned boy, they would think that he was concentrating as to what the teacher has been teaching in the class. But truthfully, all he could think about was a certain blonde.

Aomine is usually a confident person but when it came to Kise, the situation was nerve wracking to him. Aomine was slowly getting restless, maybe a bit distracted. He wanted to reconcile with the blonde. Aomine knew that he was a naive brat back in Teiko and now he's realized he's done some damage which he needs to repair.

This wasn't the need to just clear his guilty conscience but the boy knew he wanted to reconcile simply because he wanted to.

He was unsure and doubtful about whether Kise wants to befriend him again? Will he forgive him? Does the blonde hate him now? Aomine scratched that possibility, the blonde couldn't hate him.

He pondered if Kise was bitter after losing to Touou? Aomine thought that can't be the case either. Kise isn't the type to hold grudges. He did think whether Kise will reject him like he rejected the blonde back then? The model has always chased after the ace but does the ace have to chase after the model now?

All Aomine knew that he was a jerk and all he could do was make assumptions about the blonde's feelings.

Even if the blonde did became friends with him, would things go back to normal? He somehow didn't want things to back as they were in Teiko, when friends drift apart and reunite again, they don't go back in time but instead there's a new beginning.

So he came to the conclusion that he will start their friendship anew. He wondered if he was being selfish wanting to be friends again with the blonde but then again he wasn't a selfless person to begin with.

The blonde had been on his mind constantly, making him irritated as he came up with no strategy on how to approach him or what to say. Aomine found it hard to keep him out of his mind. Aomine knew that Kise is a busy person, if he wasn't in a basketball court, he'd be at his modelling gig. Aomine didn't have a slightest clue as to where to start.

This restlessness of his showed in his play. Aomine became a bit more aggressive as he practiced with his teammates. Wakamatsu, the new captain, told Aomine to take it easy while playing basketball. He didn't have to practice so hard as he if was preparing to go in the Zone. Aomine just muttered a simple 'tch' at him and went to take a shower.

* * *

The next day at school, Satsuki knew that there's something bothering Aomine for a while now. She decided to confront him about it and asked him, "Dai-chan, What's wrong, there's something bothering you, isn't it?" Aomine grumbled, "Nothing."

Satsuki is his childhood friend and she knew when the navy haired boy lied and when he was being honest. She asked him again, Aomine huffed in annoyance and said, "Shut up, nothing's wrong, Satsuki, leave me alone."

A week went by and Aomine was still brooding over things. Satsuki was getting tired of dealing with Aomine, he kept on denying things. Satsuki thought it was time for confrontation. Aomine skipped practice again just like how he did few days back. And he was on the roof. She was surprised to find him skipping practice again but she knew the reason now was something different.

She was surprised to see Aomine wasn't napping but just standing against the railing of the fence with his eyes focused on the metal strings as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. He had his hands shoved in his pockets and was only thinking about the small forward.

She stood there for a moment hoping that Aomine would acknowledge her presence.

She walked up to the power forward and called out to him softly, "Dai-chan" Aomine was deep in his thoughts and Satsuki's words didn't fall upon his ears. Satsuki got annoyed and yelled out the nickname, "DAI-CHAN!"

Aomine blinked as he came out of his stupor, he turned sideways and looked shocked to find Satsuki there. He asked her what's she doing here. She told him that it was the time for the practice and he didn't show up. Aomine replied, "Oh, I guess, I forgot."

Satsuki sighed and told him "It's been a week, Dai-chan and you are really getting on my nerves, just tell me already what it is and I might be able to help you." Aomine declined again and Satsuki decided to go in for the kill.

She asked him carefully, "it's about Ki-chan, isn't it?" Aomine turned around sharply and looked like he was a deer caught in headlights and told her, "Hah? What are you talking about, Satsuki? Kise has nothing to do with this." Aomine was quick to deny.

Aomine was inwardly thinking, "Damn, Satsuki and her observing skills, she reminds me of Tetsu."

He knew he shouldn't be shocked that Momoi knew that it is about Kise but he was indeed in shock. She was way too observant. Damn Satsuki. He didn't even want to know as to why she knew it was about Kise.

Satsuki has had enough, Aomine had been behaving like a child this past week and she told him, "Enough, Dai-chan, I know I'm not wrong". Satsuki further told him, "If you don't tell me, your precious Horitaka Mai-chan's magazine will be covered up his flames." Aomine thought, 'anything but that.' There was no winning when it came to Satsuki.

Momoi and the Touou's basketball team sometimes to lure Aomine in sorted out to such tactics.

Aomine exhaled and looked away, his gaze returning to the fence, he started talking, "I-I'm...uh...I just want to talk to him." Satsuki stared at him with an unreadable face and finally said, "So talk to him."

Aomine silently said, "It isn't that easy..." Satsuki waited for him to continue talking. Aomine glanced back at her and saw that this conversation isn't coming to an end anytime soon. She had her hands crossed on her chest and she was directly staring at Aomine with determined eyes.

Aomine's gaze returned to the fence again and further said, "Back in Teiko, we had a fall out, well, I had a fall out with everybody but this was something different between Kise and me. I might have hurt him or he might be angry with me or something like that." He turned to look at the pink haired girl and waited for her response. "Damn it, this is embarrassing to say out loud." Aomine thought. Aomine isn't used to this shit.

Satsuki was there to see Aomine's early teen angst so she had a slight idea as to what happened but as expected, she didn't know the entire issue.

She finally said, "I don't know what exactly happened between you and Ki-chan but if you want to talk to him or reconcile just do so." She practically said the same thing again.

Aomine scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and told her, "Well, what if he doesn't want to talk to me? Maybe he doesn't want to be friends again." Aomine was actually voicing out his thoughts and it sounded pathetic to him, his thoughts sounded pathetic to him. He was keeping his pride aside for a moment, he knew Satsuki will help him.

Satsuki's voice softened as she began, "I don't think that will be the case, Dai-chan, I don't know what Ki-chan's feelings are but what I know is that he has never stopped being friends with you."

Aomine looked back at her as he wondered if that was really the case. Satsuki continued, "Ki-chan might be hurt but he would never think negatively of you, he's a good person and he will definitely listen to you, you guys did stop talking together but that doesn't mean that you're not friends with him. So more than anything give him a chance, have faith in him and more importantly, have faith in your friendship. He won't just blatantly reject you."

Aomine was thinking hard, Satsuki sensed his uneasiness and told him "Don't think so much, Dai-chan. And just talk to him, it won't be bad."

The tanned boy said a simple okay in agreement. He asked her, "So how do I talk to him, I want to meet him in person though" Satsuki opened her mouth to speak but Aomine suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, I know, Kise lives in Kanagawa right? So how about you go there and 'accidently' meet him. And Kise will ask you where I am. And I will suddenly pop out and greet him, A total accidental meeting." "How does that sound?"

Aomine completely shifted the flow of the conversation without much thought.

Momoi stared at him, she uncrossed her arms and rubbed her forehead. She felt as if she was going to get a headache. She told him, "Stupid, that sounds Stupid, Dai-chan." I know that people call you Ahomine but you don't have to go ahead and give your stamp of approval for that." The navy haired boy yelled out, "Oi!"

She told him teasingly, "If this is what's in the store for Ki-chan, I'll feel sorry for him." Aomine was got irritated and asked her a little brashly, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Satsuki continued, "Nothing, never mind and besides do you really want to talk to him while giving him a 'surprise visit' and with that kind of a dumb strategy? Have some tact, Dai-chan."

The power forward took a moment to think and agreed with the pink haired girl, he admitted that it did sound stupid and now he felt embarrassed for suggesting something like that. It wasn't like him. That was a stupid idea.

Satsuki noticed that Aomine was back to thinking and she wanted to stop that, sometimes Aomine thinking did more bad than good. She told him, "Just call him on the phone, Dai-chan, just ask him how is he and would he like to meet you when he is free. Don't ask for anything else, Just keep it simple. Ki-chan's phone number hasn't changed." She smiled while saying that.

The boy agreed and she told him not to take too long to call him. Calling Kise as soon as possible was good since the tanned boy was getting grumpy.

Aomine and Momoi then made their way downstairs. They didn't say a word to each other on the walk back to the court. Momoi thought he's thinking about Kise and Momoi was thinking about the tanned boy's behaviour towards Kise.

* * *

The pink haired girl witnessed how the tanned boy and the blonde drifted apart during Teiko, she knew they were pretty close and their friendship came to an halt. She figured Aomine must have felt some remorse over the fall out. After Touou lost to Seirin, Aomine made up with Kuroko but he never attempted to have any interaction with the blonde.

She thought Aomine will come around and will want to make up in a way.

Momoi is perceptive and she realized that Aomine has always had a soft spot for Kise. She knew that Aomine confronted Haizaki after Fukuda lost the match, when Kise was injured by Haizaki, Momoi didn't miss the expression on Aomine's face and she let Aomine go to Haizaki after the match. She also knew that after Kaijo lost to Touou, Aomine didn't help Kise just for his good.

She noticed that Aomine always looked a tad bit jealous when the blonde was with the captain of the Kaijo Basketball team. Aomine let the jealousy show on his face every time the blonde and the captain had any kind of interaction.

He was protective of the blonde. And he wasn't even aware of it.

She noticed how Aomine didn't pick on his feelings and realized that he was dense and she was willing to help him out. She wanted to tell Aomine about these things but she knew the outcome wouldn't be good. The tanned boy would just deny things or even worse, his ego will be hurt. And she knew very well that the precious ego of the power forward is as big as the planet Earth.

She hoped things will go well, even though she considered him an idiot she wanted her best friend to be happy and more importantly a grumpy Aomine was a pain in the ass for the team.


	7. Jealousy and Denial

Aomine gathered the courage to call Kise, after two days since he talked with Momoi. It was nearly 9'o clock in the evening.

He was in his room, lying down on the edge of his bed. He decided that he will talk with the blonde just as instructed him to.

He took out his phone, unlocked the screen, went to the contacts and found Kise's name and his thumb hovered over the call button. Aomine was nervous, his palms were getting clammy and his heart had started to race.

He took some deep breaths in order to calm his nerves.

The navy haired teen knew it had been a long time he had talked to him and he knew he couldn't fuck this up.

If he was honest with himself, he'd say he had been missing him. The blonde held a special place in his heart which he wasn't aware of yet.

There were a lot of things about the blonde which Aomine missed.

He missed the teen's saccharine voice which he knew he was going to hear it on the call. Aomine wouldn't admit it but he liked the way Kise would call out 'Aomine-cchi~'. Even though it was childish, he couldn't deny the fact that it's cute. Even though Kise added the suffix 'cchi' to people he acknowledges, Aomine still felt special.

Aomine inhaled and exhaled calmly and he tapped once on the green call button and it started to ring.

* * *

Kise was in his room, watching TV and chatting away with a certain guest who was at his house and his sister was almost done with the dinner. His phone suddenly started vibrating over the coffee table. He picked it up and he could have sworn that his heart had skipped a beat, he stared wide eyed at the screen. He would have never expected to get a call from him. _Or maybe he did_.

The person next to him noticed that his facial muscles tensed and how he stared at the phone, the person asked him, "What is it?" Kise replied, "Ah, nothing, I'll be right back." Kise hurriedly ran up to his room and slammed the door shut.

His heart was racing soon enough and he got nervous.

Aomine thought Kise was taking too long to pick up the call. He was about to end the call but at the end Kise answered the phone and muttered a silent "Hello."

The moment a simple word like 'hello' left Kise's mouth, Aomine felt the wires in his brain short-circuit. Kise was greeted with silence in return called out again, "Hello, A-Aomine-cchi? Are you there?" For a moment Kise thought that Aomine hadn't heard his voice.

Now it was the time for the tanned teen's heart to race.

Aomine quickly pulled himself together and said, "Yea-oh, Yeah, Kise, I'm here." Kise felt awkward and he was blinking in confusion. He had no idea why it was quiet at the other end. He decided to break the ice and said 'It's rare to see you call me Aomine-cchi.' Kise was slightly smiling.

Aomine wanted to smack himself upside his head, he was the one who called Kise and now Kise's the one initiating the talk. He quickly replied, "H-How are you?" Kise told him, "I'm good and you, Aomine-cchi?"

The navy haired teen hadn't expected that this conversation would be so awkward. He didn't think this would be maybe a bit nonchalant. He decided he was going to be real quick and wouldn't waste any time.

Aomine replied that he's good as well and asked him, "A-Are you free sometime this week, I'd like to meet you..." Aomine's stutter didn't go unnoticed by Kise and he realized that Aomine was nervous too.

Kise realized he'd been holding his breath and exhaled, "I have a photo shoot in Tokyo this Sunday and in the evening I'll be free to meet you" Aomine said, "Oh good then, you still visit Tokyo? I thought you'd be modelling in Kanagawa itself." Aomine tried to make the conversation as natural as he could. He didn't want the blonde to feel uncomfortable.

Kise said, "I still model in Kanagawa and also in Tokyo, my nee-san and my manager get me various jobs in both the cities and not to mention that my family home us there, so I visit them too-ssu~"

"You live alone in Kanagawa?" Aomine asked the blonde. The blonde told him that he lives with his older sister in a shared Apartment. He further told him that he could have stayed in the school's dorms but since he's a model he needs to work at odd times and the school have rules and have curfew and such.

Aomine said a simple okay and asked him, "What are you doing now?"

Aomine had no idea why he wanted the conversation to continue. He just wanted to talk to him for a while and just listen to his voice which had managed to soothe him.

As Kise was about to answer, he heard a knock on his door and a gruff voice called out loudly to him, "Kise, come out, the dinner is ready and on the table." Aomine heard that voice in the background, Kise was living with his sister but the voice belonged to a man, he couldn't recognize it as it was faint.

Kise replied loudly, "Yes, I'll be out in a minute." Aomine was quick to ask him, "Who was that? I thought you lived alone with your sister."

"Eh? I do, that was Kasamatsu-senpai."

Aomine blinked and asked him, "Wai..Wha..What the..."

To say, Aomine was shocked was an understatement.

Aomine was stupefied and before he could comprehend anything he asked him rather roughly, "What the...What's he doing there? At this hour?" Kise told him he came to the house for dinner and that his sister dragged Kasamatsu to have the dinner since it has been sometime.

Aomine grimaced. His heartbeat thudded painfully against his rib cage, he clutched his fingertips in the sheets he was sitting on and the feeling he felt before which he couldn't recognize was back again.

He told him, "I didn't know you guys had dinner together." It was nothing but a mere statement for Kise but for Aomine, that statement which left his own lips had seemed to hurt him.

Kise replied, "Well, not usually but sometimes we do. Nee-san makes us dinner, she likes the company but sometimes Kasamatsu senpai complains about me and nee-san makes fun of me~ssu."

Aomine heard Kise chuckle silently.

The tanned teen was silent and didn't utter a single word. He felt several veins pop at his forehead. He gritted his teeth and said,

"Is, that so, well that sounds fun." his jaw was clenching while his words were filled with hostility.

"Eh? Aomine-cchi, there's nothing fun about be getting bullied, you know." Kise pouted.

"Hmm...I see." Aomine said, anger filling him. He knew Kise couldn't see him right now and was glad.

"Okay" He cleared his throat, swallowing the lump of bitterness that had been lodged there.

Kise thought to himself that Aomine is being a little strange. His words were strange.

The navy haired boy realized if he didn't say something soon, he's going to burst and quickly changed the topic at hand and told him wanting to end the conversation, "Kise, meet me on Sunday, at Maji burger" Kise agreed and told him to meet up at 6'o clock in the evening. The blonde told him that he finishes his shoot by 5.30 and he'll be there in half an hour. Aomine agreed and ended the call.

Kise just sat for a moment on his bed and his heart was still racing from the conversation he had, he waited until he had calmed himself.

He went in the dining room where Kasamatsu and his sister had already taken a seat. Kasamatsu asked him, "Who was that? On the phone?" Kise pulled out the chair and sat on it. He looked up at him and said it was Aomine. Kasamatsu looked surprised and told him, "I didn't know you guys were in touch."

"We were not but I guess we are now." Kise gave a gentle and genuine smile while ending that sentence.

Kasamatsu and Kise's sister, who was sitting next to Kise glanced at each other and the smile didn't go unnoticed by both of them.

They had the dinner in peace and talked about trivial things. Kasamatsu and Kise's older sister Ryouko were not close to each other but they were observant. They both looked after the blonde and realized that that wasn't just a simple call from a former teammate. And there was definitely something hidden, something between the lines.

* * *

After the call ended, the tanned haired boy was indignant, he slammed his fist in the bed and groaned. He lay down on the bed and put his left arm over his eyes. He was extremely irritated.

Aomine thoughts were occupied with how much the blonde spends his time with Kasamatsu.

He thoughts were running back and forth as he became aware that Kasamatsu was at Kise's apartment and having a meal together with him, he was very well aware that Kasamatsu bullied him, that senior got to talk with him, got to see him smile and whine. He spends time with him even after the school had ended. It pissed Aomine off to no end.

 _Fuck._

The power forward was angry. Aomine was itching to play Basketball, he wanted to let out his frustrations. But it was late at night so I decided against it.

Aomine had his dinner and went back to his room and buried himself in the bed sheets. He asked himself why is he feeling this way? Whenever Kise and Kasamatsu were together, his blood boiled with anger. It became hard for him to breathe. They were senpai and Kouhai and it's normal for them to hang out together. _This feeling...what is this?_

The navy blue eyed boy was up late at night questioning himself, his feelings...He couldn't come up with an answer and went to sleep as he got tired.

* * *

The next day in school, the boy asked Satsuki rather casually, "Oi, Satsuki, say, if you have a friend whose friend hangs out with another friend and when the first friend sees that happen before his eyes, what does it mean if the first friend feels bitter about it?"

And Aomine wanted to take back the 10 seconds of his life back. He instantly regretted asking her that. How could he forget that she was an observant person and now she will suspect that he's talking about himself which is true but he wouldn't admit it. She will just bombard him with questions.

Satsuki narrowed her eyes before rolling them and replied, "Then, that means that the _first friend_ is jealous."

Aomine stared at her in shock. He instantly stuttered, "Wha-I-Yo-I'm..."

He immediately shut himself up as he saw the girl's eyebrow raise.

He thought to himself, "Jealous...am I really jealous? No, that can't be it." The tanned boy scoffed as he wouldn't accept that, there was no way he could be jealous.

Aomine was in denial. And the pink haired girl saw his state of denial as he brushed aside that thought aside with his scoff.

Satsuki asked him did he talk to the blonde yet and Aomine said he did and they are going to meet on this Sunday. Aomine was waiting for more questions from the pink haired girl but was bewildered as to why they never came.

The power forward wasn't having any of that jealous crap. He removed all the thoughts of jealousy and Kise out from his mind. It was Thursday and he would just wait for Sunday to arrive...


	8. The reunion

On a particular Sunday evening, Aomine Daiki wanted to smack himself upside his head. He had arrived nearly 20 minutes early than the decided time.

He had been restless since the morning of the holiday, he couldn't wait to meet the blonde. It felt like time was passing by slow just to torture him, adding to his anxiety. His eyes darted to the ticking of the clock every few minutes.

He finally gave up and decided to just leave the house and head out.

As he reached his destination, the boy was looking around, watching the people pass by, his feet tapping against the surface of the ground, uneasily. He half expected to see the blonde arrive early just like he did.

But the blonde didn't infact he was getting late.

It was ten minutes past 6 and Aomine was getting impatient. He thought to himself that he shouldn't have arrived early and now he felt like an idiot waiting outside for such a long time.

Finally he saw the familiar mop of the blonde hair approaching him with the wave of his hand, but the tanned boy's heart made sure to skip a beat which had the ace puzzled for a moment.

The blonde came sprinting and Aomine blinked and asked him abruptly, "What the hell, Kise? What took you so long?"

"I'm only 10 minutes late, Aomine-cchi, work held me back a little. And by the way, is that how you greet me? We're meeting each other after such a long time and not in a basketball court." A pouting and a smiling Kise said.

Aomine stared at him for a moment, wondering why the hell his heart's fluttering and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and answered him, "Ah, right. It _has_ been a long time, I'm hungry, let's go in." Kise gave another smile and followed him.

* * *

As expected the tanned boy ordered a mountain of teriyaki burgers and a coke while Kise ordered a normal meal which only consisted of a couple of burgers with a fries and a coke. Basically, Kise isn't a pig like Aomine.

They both sat down with their trays and opposite of each other.

The air around them felt a bit awkward, they both were nervous as Aomine didn't know how to begin the conversation with the blonde and neither did the blonde. Kise pressed his lips together. He heard the tanned boy sigh silently.

Aomine decided to just stop thinking and go with the flow, as he thought appearing casual right now would be the best.

Aomine unwrapped his burger, took a bite out of it and began, "So how is your work going?" Kise sipped his coke, feeling the cold liquid against his throat, soothing it and replied, "It's great, although I have to commute between Kanagawa and Tokyo, it a hectic schedule at times but it is fun."

Aomine replied a simple ' _Okay'._ A heavy atmosphere of awkwardness lay between them now.

The power forward took a sip of his coke and quickly asked him, "You still work on Sundays? Isn't it supposed to be a holiday?" Kise took a bite out of his burger and said, "I don't usually work on Sundays, only if the shoot is important or a rare opportunity."

"So today was important?" The tanned boy asked him. "Yes, the shoot was important as my agency offered me a rare opportunity to shoot with a foreign guy, he's older than me and my senpai, now, I guess. Yeah, he is. He taught me a lot of things today. He had been modelling since a young age." The blonde replied.

The ace only nodded in acknowledgement. He was quick to finish his first burger and quickly unwrapped the second one, taking a big bite out of it in a sloppy manner. Kise let out a chuckle, the sound grabbing Aomine's attention and he asked him, "What is it?" Kise replied with a snort, "Ah, nothing, Aomine-cchi still eats like a pig."

Aomine scrunched up his nose and told him, "Oi! What the hell? I don't eat like a pig!"

Kise laughed at the tanned boy's reply and said "Ah, then maybe a Hamster? A hamster who has dark skin and his cheeks puffed up with burgers?" The blonde laughed harder this time, irritating the blue haired boy. Aomine-cchi, like a hamster, it's sounds pretty cute." The blonde added in the end with another saccharine laugh.

If Aomine had heard Kise laugh in a different kind of circumstance, he'd find it cute.

But he couldn't now and said, "Seriously, what the hell? Are you looking for a fight?" Kise again laughed in return _._

By this time, the air between them became lighter and the boys had relaxed.

Aomine took a concentrated look at Kise's face, he could see the boy looked fairer than usual and asked him, "You still have makeup on..." Kise told him he had to rush here and he didn't find the time to remove the makeup. He just quickly changed his clothes and came here as fast as he could.

The blue eyed boy thought to himself the blonde looked attractive in makeup but he would prefer the blonde without make up. He liked to see Kise as it is and not the image he portrayed in front of a camera or to others.

Aomine blinked as he realized what his thoughts were, he had just thought to himself that the blonde was attractive. That was _weird_. Well he _is_ a model and models are usually attractive...He shook his head, he didn't want his thoughts to go astray.

Aomine then proceeded to ask, "How is your leg, by the way?" Kise replied with a smile, "You're a bit too late to ask, Aomine-cchi, but it's fine, I can play properly now." The tanned boy knew the question was late, he was also aware of the fact that the blonde is fine. Aomine just wanted to know about him moreover he didn't want the conversation to die.

Aomine found it odd how he was doing most of the talking while Kise only answered his questions. He thought the blonde might be feeling uncomfortable. He had no idea what to ask or say further.

The tanned boy glanced at the boy sitting in front of him, he opened his mouth to speak something when Kise asked him, "How are things going on your side, Aomine-cchi?"

He replied it's good. Aomine had never been a talker...but this time he knew he couldn't just stay quiet. He continued, "Things have gotten better, I guess. I mean, I've started attending basketball practices after the school."

Kise blinked in surprise and beamed at him wholeheartedly. Aomine felt his heart skip a beat at the smile. Kise felt utterly happy, "That's great, Aomine-cchi, I'm so happy, but look out for me, I'm going to beat Seirin in the next tournament."

"Keep dreaming, Kise. I'll be the one to do that." Aomine smirked. "Really? We'll see who beats who." Kise smirked back.

He continued, "So, does Aomine-cchi have a girlfriend now?"

Aomine was taken aback and he almost choked on the burger he was eating, he gulped down the remnants of the food and took a sip of the blonde's coke. The blonde protested, "Aomine-cchi, that's mine, drink your own coke!"

"Mine's already over, it's not a big deal, Kise". Aomine smirked while Kise pouted.

A strange thought crossed Kise's mind, he blinked as he stared at Aomine's lips and thought that the act of his lips on the straw sucking the liquid which Kise sucked from was an indirect kiss. He felt as his face was heating up and looked away.

Kise was brought out of his thoughts when the Aomine continued speaking, "And what's with that question? I don't have a girlfriend or anything like that." That question felt a bit irritating to him.

Somehow, Kise was relieved when the boy told him that he didn't have a girlfriend. _I'm thinking some strange things_ , the blonde noted to himself.

The blonde asked him, "really? I thought, you might have one, considering you always go on and on about boobs and you're a really handsome guy also you're really cool, I thought you would be really popular in your school."

Now Aomine really did choke on the burger and took another sip of the blonde's coke, the contents of the liquid giving him some kind of relieve. His heart beats have suddenly skyrocketed as he heard the blonde compliment him and quickly told him, "What the hell? I'm not popular in school and I do like boobs but I'm always occupied with basketball...Well, it's a different case if you want to call basketball my girlfriend." He let out a chuckle. His heart still pounding, the sound of it ringing in his ears. ' _What is happening with me today, he only complimented me a little and he always calls me cool, what's the matter with me today'?!_

"And what about you, ha? You are always flocked by your fangirls." Aomine asked him hoping to calm his heart down, hoping the blonde wouldn't notice it. Kise told him, "I don't have a girlfriend either. I'm also too busy with basketball and modelling keeps me even busier."

Aomine sighed as he felt relieved again. ' _Something is seriously wrong with me today...'_

"And now that I think about it, girls might find you intimidating so they must have never approached you. Except for Momocchi. The name ganguro is a good fit for you." Kise snickered.

"You bastard, looks like you want me to kick your ass." said Aomine sounding irritated.

Kise apologized light heartedly while Aomine just hmph'd in a reply.

* * *

Aomine was starting to get edgy. He did call out the blonde to talk to him and also to apologize to him. He just couldn't find the right time to say anything.

They later talked about some other trivial things while Aomine was done eating. The blonde was done a lot earlier than the navy haired boy.

At the end, they got up, emptied the trash and put out the tray.

They exited and the tanned boy told the blonde he will walk him to the station while the blonde started insisted that he didn't have to. But the tanned boy was stubborn and the blonde had to accept.

For a few minutes, they both were quiet. The only sounds they heard were of the passerby's, the traffic of the city. Aomine was anxious and it felt like his heart had slowed down. Kise was just walking beside him and he realized it had been a long time since they walked together somewhere, anywhere really. It felt...nostalgic.

Aomine shrugged as he thought now isn't the time to think about such things and he called out to the blonde. Kise looked at him...the tanned boy began, "Hey, um, back then, I mean back in Teiko, a lot of things happened, things just spiralled out of control, I guess...Well yeah, they did. And my behaviour or attitude, whatever you call it, towards others and to you was umm, not quite good."

Aomine thought to himself that he's bad at this. He isn't good with words. He clenched his fingers into fists.

"It was actually pretty bad. I mean, we stopped hanging out together, stopped playing basketball, I hurt you, I was also mean to you...so yeah, I want to apologize to you. I,uh, I'm sorry about that." He rubbed the back of neck in embarrassment, looking away.

Kise stopped in his tracks, he wasn't expecting an apology, having the ace apologize to him was really surprising; he thought that the ace doesn't do things like apologies.

Aomine went a few steps ahead of Kise and noticed the blonde had stopped walking he turned around and saw that Kise's eyes were covered by the fringe of his blonde hair. He called out, "Kise?"

"..."

"Won't..."

"What?" Aomine said in a confused tone.

"I won't forgive you" Kise replied, his eyes downcast.

Panic was starting to settle in Aomine. "Kise, I-I'm really..."

He was interrupted when he heard, "I won't forgive you until you play one on one with me." Kise looked up at him with a smile gracing with lips and his eyes were filled with tears just threatening to fall down his face.

Aomine's eyes widened when he saw the blonde on the verge of crying, he abruptly grabbed Kise's wrist and yanked him to his side and wrapping his one arm around the blonde's head while other still on the blonde's wrist, hugging him.

"Oi, I told you, I'm sorry, don't cry, idiot." Kise heard Aomine say. "I'm not crying..." Kise said while sniffling. "Really? Then what is that sniffling voice?"

"I don't know but I'm not crying, Aomine-cchi..." Kise sniffled again. "Sure, sure you are not." Aomine said in a half mocking and a half worried tone.

Kise had finally stopped crying. "Aomine-cchi, you're an idiot."

"Yeah, I know".

"..."

"Have you stopped crying?" Aomine asked again.

"I told you I'm not crying..." Kise denied again.

Aomine smiled and said, "yeah, yeah..."

Kise rubbed away the tears off of his eyes with his other hand.

He finally pulled away and asked, "So when are we going to have a one on one, model-kun?"

Kise slightly pouted at the nick name with a 'kun' and said, "how about tomorrow?"

Aomine quirked his eyebrow and asked, "You're free tomorrow? Don't you have club activities or a shoot or something?"

Kise denied saying that he does have club activities but no shoot so he gets off early.

"You're willing to commute from Kanagawa to Tokyo to have a one on one with me? Won't you get tired from commuting all the way here after your club activities?" Aomine was a little worried.

"I'm already used to commuting between the prefectures, I don't mind, really. And I'm already excited for the one-on-one, watch out or I'll beat your ass tomorrow, I've gotten a lot stronger." Kise replied with a glint in his eyes.

"Oh? Is that so? I'll make you eat your words, Kise. The only one who can beat me is me." Aomine added his arrogant smirk as he replied.

"You're still going on about that?" Kise rolled his eyes at him.

"Ha? Of course, I am. Idiot!" Aomine smirked again.

"Fine, fine...I should leave now, it's getting pretty late." The blonde said while sighing.

They had already reached the metro.

"Aomine-cchi?" Aomine turned to catch a glimpse of the blonde, the blonde said, "I'm so happy we're together again!" with the brightest smile on his face with his eyes closed. The tanned boy gasped inwardly and cheeks were now dusted with a pretty shade of pink, his heart making funny movements again within his chest. He was thankful that his skin isn't fair or else the blonde would have seen the blush that had spread across his face.

Aomine sighed and thought to himself, _What the hell is up with this guy...moreover what the hell is up with me?!_

He quickly said, "hurry up and go, you idiot."

Kise then waved Aomine goodbye. And he said he'll text him.

Aomine nodded and they both went home with a smile gracing their faces while Aomine's heart refused to calm down.


	9. Realizations and Acceptances

After coming home, Kise found it hard to sleep as he kept thinking about the tanned boy. He kept tossing and turning on his bed. He was excited to play basketball with him and his thoughts kept darting in and out of number of things.

The blonde thought back to the Teiko days, before joining the Basket ball team he had always felt lonely amidst the crowd that surrounded him. When he was alone, he could hear the sound of the wind blowing around him...it all felt so lonely and boredom filled him whenever he excelled at something new.

People usually saw him for his talents and his career as a model but since he met Aomine things changed for him. Aomine made him feel like he's belongs there, with the entire team, made him feel like he's not just for his skills or his modelling career.

Aomine often bullied him, he never went easy on Kise during Basketball and he just treated Kise like any other human being. Aomine made him feel like a person and not just a celebrity. Kise didn't admire Aomine just for his Basketball skills, he admired his entire existence.

His thoughts made their way to Aomine's personal life. He never got involved with girls in Teiko. He was aware that Aomine read porn magazines and liked big breasted girls. In middle school, Kise himself got involved with girls but his relationships with them never got too serious and the girls were interested in him only because of his status as a model.

He thought back to Kuroko. Kise always had felt an odd sense of jealousy whenever he saw the tanned boy with Kuroko.

Kuroko joined the Teiko basketball team before Kise and he already had become Aomine's close friend by the time blonde joined the team.

Aomine and Kuroko were a duo on a Basketball court as they played together as the light and shadow and Kise wanted to be a part of it. Whenever they played together Kise would feel jealous, it made him feel left out, it would made him feel dejected.

It isn't like he had wanted to be Aomine's shadow, he just wanted to play with him with the same passion Kuroko played with him, play with him as a pair. On a basketball court, Kise couldn't have much interaction with the tanned boy, he wanted to have those fist bumps with Aomine, wanted to make those passes, wanted to smile while playing with him, just like Kuroko did.

Kise didn't feel better when Aomine addressed to Kuroko as 'Tetsu.' He used his given name which had the blonde jealous and hurt again. The blonde knew that Aomine and he, himself did become fairly close to each other in the shortest period of time but every time Aomine addressed Kuroko as Tetsu, their relation would feel intimate.

Kise never expressed his jealousy. Truth be told, he was fond of Kuroko, he never held any ill feelings towards the sixth phantom. But all he craved was the tanned boy's attention.

Aomine is the only reason for his inspiration to play a sport which became close to his heart. He was the one who erased the boredom in his life, the one who pushed him beyond his limits, the one who always brought out his true potential, the one who always motivated him and the one who made him feel alive.

Aomine Daiki was and still is _his hero_.

* * *

Kise sighed as he thought of the day he had spend with Aomine, he bit his lower lip as his mind was filled with Aomine and he was reminded of the indirect kiss. He closed his eyes and he let his mind wander as a dangerous thought made its way into his mind. _'Aomine-cchi's lips, his lips over mine'_. Kise snapped his eyes open and jolted upright on his bed and soon enough his heart has started beating loudly. His breathing had become irregular.

Kise blinked once, twice, thrice until he felt his own cheeks heat up. He covered his mouth with his hand trying to register his thoughts, trying to calm himself.

He exhaled as he ruffled his hair trying to fathom his unusual thoughts. He realized he was having such thoughts about a boy... _'What the hell was that? What is this feeling?'_

He gradually came to a conclusion that these feelings aren't just simple, they are something different, something that had his heart in a state of total confusion.

* * *

He flopped down on the bed, closed his eyes and sighed again, he somehow managed to get rid of his thoughts and he just wanted to sleep. He glanced at the clock and saw it was 1.37 am.

As for tomorrow, he couldn't just wait to get up, get over with his school and club activities. Exhaustion soon took over him and he finally let himself fall into a deep slumber.

* * *

The next morning, at school, Momoi asked Aomine how everything went with Kise. Aomine told her that things went fine and they're meeting again today to play basketball. Upon hearing this Momoi smiled brightly at Aomine and told him, "Dai-chan, whatever happens from now on, be sure to be honest with yourself, okay?" Aomine furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and asked her, "What are you talking about, Satsuki?"

In return, Momoi told him, "Nothing much, just promise me you'll be honest with yourself." Aomine gave her an annoyed look and agreed with a roll of his eyes. He couldn't be bothered to know the underlying meaning behind Momoi's words.

Last night, he kept thinking about the blonde, Kise was making him feel things and he found himself confused. Aomine decided to just shrug these things for now, he was just itching to play basketball later in the evening with the blonde, he smirked as he could already imagine Kise losing and demanding another game.

He still had his own club activities to attend to and wondered when the blonde will text him.

As on cue, the blonde texted him: informing that his club activities will end an hour early, and he will be in Tokyo by 5.30. The tanned boy texted him back, told him to arrive at the park which they used to play at, back in Teiko.

* * *

Kise was getting excited by the passing minute, he was being bubbly than usual which was getting annoying for his teammates.

Finally the club activities came to an end and he left right away.

He arrived at the metro, got in the train. It was a one hour ride from Kanagawa and Tokyo, it felt so long to the blonde. He had been really excited and he could already feel his heart going into an overdrive mode. He had gotten used to the long ride but times like these he just couldn't wait and ended up hurrying.

Finally the train arrived at the Tokyo station and Kise sprinted towards the park mentioned by the tanned boy.

Upon his arrival, Kise found the tanned boy playing with the basketball by himself, bouncing the ball, blocking and cutting through the air as he imagined being faced by an opponent. Kise saw him make a shot which went through the hoop effortlessly. Even without the opponent Aomine looked so cool; he was graceful in his movements, he always was so impressive. Kise for a moment found himself being mesmerized by the sight. Kise thought, _'Ah, why does he have to be so freaking cool even when he's playing by himself'._

He walked towards the tanned boy and called out to him, Aomine stopped his movements and turned around to face him, "So the blondie's finally here..."

Kise gave him a smile in return as he tried to steal the basketball. But Aomine was quick to move away from him, he said with a smug grin on his face, "When you lose, you're buying me ice cream, Kise."

Kise pouted heavily and said, "Aomine-cchi should use the word, 'if', 'if' ". Kise put the emphasis on the mouthing of the word 'if' at which Aomine quirked an eyebrow. He suddenly flung the basketball at the blonde which he managed to dodge. Kise asked him looking surprised, "W-Why did you do that?" Aomine replied with a smirk, "You annoyed me so I wanted to shut you up." Kise pouted again, "You're always bullying me, Aomine-cchi is so mean-ssu!"

That made Aomine heave a sigh and Kise saw him run across to grab the ball, Aomine ran up to Kise and the blonde could see the determination in his eyes and knew they were going to play in a serious demeanour.

As Aomine began to bounce and dribble the ball, Kise couldn't help but feel ecstatic. Kise only managed to make 2 shots in the hoop, Aomine was surprised but wasn't all that shocked. He had expected the blonde to get better and he had gotten a lot better. He managed to steal the ball from Aomine and also managed to make scores.

They played few more rounds on the blonde's demand. But their one-on-one ended up with Aomine winning after all.

Kise sat on the ground, with the palms pressed against the surface of the ground, panting hard, trying to get the much needed oxygen in his lungs.

Aomine bounced the basketball in his hand, all Kise could do was stare at him. The sun was setting in the afternoon sky and Kise could see the sweat glistening on his sun kissed skin. His shirt was getting damp and sticking to his skin because of the sweat, Kise almost licked his lips as he could just imagine his muscled abs underneath his clothes laced with beads of sweat.

His navy blue hair shining under the orange-yellow rays of the sun. His midnight blue eyes fixed on the basketball. He dribbled the ball again, running towards the hoop and making a dunk.

Captivating, Aomine Daiki is absolutely captivating.

He couldn't bring himself to look away, Kise's thoughts diverted their way to last night, he breath got caught in his throat and he shook his head violently as he didn't want to be reminded of anything weird...at least not now.

Kise looked away quickly as he realized what he had just thought was something weird indeed.

He suddenly felt Aomine's piercing gaze upon him, staring at him and the blonde was starting to get conscious. Aomine asked him, "Hey, that piercing in your ear, why did you get that?"

The model touched his ear, fiddling with his earring and told him, "Ah, this...It was just impulsive. I thought it would look cool." Aomine scoffed and asked him, "And your manager was okay with that?"

Kise continued, "Not really, he reprimanded me but later everybody at the agency liked it and thought it made me look attractive." Aomine hummed in reply while he made a shot in the hoop.

The blonde quirked his eyebrow at him, "What do you think, Aomine-cchi?, Does it make me look attractive?" Aomine was looking for the ball and replied unconsciously, "Well, yes, you have always been attractive and that earring adds more to your appeal."

Kise froze and forgot how to breathe for a moment and stared at his back in shock, he was _not_ expecting that. He expected Aomine to say something like it's dumb or something. He had never received any kind of compliments from Aomine _until now_.

Aomine turned around and amber eyes met cerulean blue eyes, the tanned boy's eyes were widened to the size of saucers but he couldn't utter a word. They stared at each other for a moment until Kise felt himself blush crimson red and he broke the eye contact, not wanting to let Aomine see the blush. But he failed as Aomine blushed himself after he was greeted with the pleasing sight of the blonde's cheeks turning into a pretty red. Kise looked around, tried to regain his composure said rather nervously, "A-Aomine-cchi, W-we should leave now." The blonde resumed his breathing slowly.

Kise pushed himself off of the ground, dusted the dirt off of his clothes with his heart pounding in his chest. He missed the moment when Aomine placed his palm on his face, cursing himself under his breath. The blonde grabbed his school bag and they left.

For a while they were both quiet until Kise bought him a Popsicle and Aomine had insisted again to walk the blonde to the metro station. Kise wondered why Aomine wanted to do walk him again to the station.

While walking Aomine asked him, "How is your Kaijo basketball team, are you having fun with them?"

Kise answered, "Yes, indeed it is fun with them. I'm really thankful to Kaijo, truthfully speaking, I think it's because of our basketball team, I learned about team work and I always want to win as team, I truly feel like a part of the team at Kaijo and well, Kuroko-cchi is also someone I'm also thankful for-ssu."

"What are you talking about? What about Teiko, didn't you feel like a part of the team in middle school?" Aomine asked him looking a bit perplexed.

"Well, I only joined Teiko in second year, Aomine-cchi and soon enough in third year, we all fell apart and went separate ways, so as for feeling the part of the team, I didn't have that much credibility and about teamwork, I never really got to experience true teamwork until I joined Kaijo and Kasamatsu-senpai was the one who thought me team work-ssu." The blonde stated.

Aomine's eye twitched at the mention of the ex-captain's name, the tanned boy had shunned all about the senpai this past week. Kise continued, "Now that I think about it, even though Kasamatsu-senpai kicked me all the time, he would always motivate us and it was really fun to play with him-ssu."

Aomine scowled and felt his anger rise up, he took a deep breath and exhaled as he tried to calm himself down. Aomine muttered, "And after he had retired from the club, you still hang out with him?"

Kise answered, "Eh? Yes, I do, he may have retired from the club but he is still my senpai and moreover he is graduating this year and also nee-san invites him to have d-

-dinner at your apartment, yes, yes I get it!" Aomine grumbled in annoyance.

Kise tilted his head when Aomine used a rather sharp tone. Kise continued talking, "And sometimes Kasamatsu-senpai plays his guitar at home and I sing with my sister."

Aomine turned his head sideways, staring at him in utter disbelief and questioned him, "I-you-wait-what? What the fuck? You're telling me Kasamatsu knows how to play guitar AND he plays in front of you, while you and your sister sing?"

He couldn't believe his ears, it all sounded so ridiculous to the tanned boy. He couldn't process that information.

"Yes, maybe we could form a band or something." Kise laughed.

Kise's words didn't fall on Aomine's ears as he was busy trying to imagine Kasamatsu with a guitar but the image couldn't just pop up. Kasamatsu is a hard headed and a strict person, that kind of thing was something Aomine could never imagine.

The Touou ace rubbed the temples of his forehead and asked, "So, you all just gather around, sing and stuff like a bunch of idiots?"

Kise whined, "Hido, Aomine-cchi, we are not idiots. You should hear Kasamatsu senpai play a guitar." Aomine rolled his eyes and he was still finding it difficult to imagine the ex-captain with a guitar in his hands.

The blonde continued to tell him that Kasamatsu refused to come to the Karaoke with him but he does play when they are at his place. The blonde told Aomine that he's really talented.

"When senpai met nee-san for the first time, he stuttered a whole lot and couldn't stop blushing while talking to her, that reaction of his was really cute." The blonde spoke while he let out a giggle. "But later they got comfortable around each other and now nee-san seems to be taken with him-ssu."

Aomine grimaced.

It was bad enough that Kasamatsu remained friends with the blonde after he had retired from the club but now Aomine had found out that he plays a guitar while Kise sang songs and shit. And the blonde had the audacity to even compliment him.

 _'Annoying, annoying, annoying...all of this is so fucking annoying.'_ He jaw clenched in anger, his expression turned completely sour now.

Aomine remembered Momoi's words, telling him that these feelings are of jealousy, the sound growing louder in his mind.

 _Damn Satsuki._

His anger made no sign of dissipating at the sudden intrusion in his mind by the pink haired girl's words which refused to go away.

Upon reaching the metro, Aomine calmed himself down and asked him, "When are you meeting me again?" At which the blonde replied, "I don't know, maybe the coming Sunday? This week I have shoots and there are club activities after school and I won't be able to meet you as I have school every next morning."

Aomine itched to say that he could come to Kanagawa and visit the blonde but he held his tongue back, it somehow felt embarrassing. Aomine was slightly sulking.

The blonde wanted to meet Aomine every day but he knew he won't be able to. Between work and club activities, he would have no time to hang out with the tanned boy and moreover, he would be tired at the end of the day. He did travel to Tokyo sometimes but his shoots were mainly centered in Kanagawa.

He heard the tanned boy sigh and Aomine told him to text him when he does get free. Kise nodded in reply.

Kise left for Kanagawa, in the train he could feel his eyes closing shut in dire need of sleep. Tomorrow Kise couldn't skip activities and he also had work.

After the station arrived, Kise got out and hurried home. He had dinner and quickly went to sleep.

* * *

At night, Aomine thought back to the long day he had, while he recollected his past memories, he realized and accepted that he had been feeling this way since middle school, feeling jealous since then.

He had been jealous of Kise's fangirls, of Kuroko, of the numerous other guys who got too familiar with the blonde and of the guys who touched him in a friendly manner. He ran his hand through his hair, contemplating these emotions.

Other people getting too close to the blonde was annoying but he thought his feelings of jealousy were the most annoying ones. Adding to the collection of people Aomine got jealous of was- Kasamatsu. _Damn him_. He felt angry about the whole ordeal, he felt angry at himself.

He reluctantly admitted that not only was he jealous but also somewhat possessive.

He came to a conclusion that he didn't want other people to get close to the blonde and felt as the only person who can get close to Kise is himself. He didn't like when the blonde was smiling and having fun with others.

 _'I feel like I want him all to myself, only to_ _myself_ '. Just the idea of other people enjoying the blonde's company didn't set well with him. He was aware of the fact that he can't make any unreasonable demands from the model. ' _Damn Satsuki for making me realize things',_ the tanned boy thought.

Kise is a model, people will always have their eyes on him, no matter what. He felt ridiculous, he felt stupid and he felt like an idiot for having these kinds of petty emotions. He was infuriated with himself.

Aomine groaned at these realizations and feelings, he buried himself in the futon and pulled the blanket over his body. After a while, he felt his eyelids getting shut while he kept on thinking about the blonde.


	10. Sexual desire

Kise had begun texting Aomine frequently after they last met; most of texts were usually sent by Kise. The chats consisted of- what has been happening in school, about Kise's work, about Kise's hectic schedule (basically it's Kise harping about himself while Aomine complied with him).

Kise even had started sending him attachments of consisting of photos from his latest shoots which were usually selfies. They had his signature peace sign, sometimes a wink and a huge dumb grin on his pretty face. Kise had this habit of using emoticons which always had Aomine thinking he's silly but at the same time, he was adorable. It was just like him to use them.

Aomine always gave vague replies or called them either dumb or stupid. Sometimes Aomine rolled his eyes but more than anything he appreciated them.

He knew Kise worked hard every time and every time Kise texted an attachment Aomine couldn't help but be enthralled. He found himself admitting that Kise always looked gorgeous in everything. Aomine exhaled loudly as the truth finally sank in. He could no longer deny that Kise looked flawless every damn time in every type of clothing. He could no longer deny his blatant attraction towards him.

* * *

During this week, both Kise and Aomine had both of their minds were occupied with the thoughts of others. Kise was practically giddy the entire time. Aomine was letting himself loose, Momoi had observed a slight change in his behaviour. He scowled less and smiled whenever his phone beeped. She was smart enough to guess the reason behind this change. She didn't approach Aomine as she didn't want to embarrass the boy neither did she want him to run away from his feelings.

Aomine came to know that Kise had to skip club activities sometimes for his modelling jigs and work at the end of the day left him tired. He wished he could be there to provide some comfort to the blonde.

Aomine had become aware of Kise's presence more than he'd like to.

He's aware of his jealousy and possessiveness. He purposefully stayed away from the subject of Kise's co-workers as he knew very well that modelling is Kise's job and it can't he helped so he decided to keep himself in dark regarding the whole thing, at least for the time being.

He also found himself randomly thinking that Kise is endearing. Kise is silly and cute, he pouts and whines like a little kid and it felt all too dear to Aomine. He wanted more; he wanted to see more expressions on Kise's face. He wanted to make him smile, wanted to make him blush, wanted to make him laugh, wanted to bully him, wanted to anger him, to see him pout and whine. He wanted to see all the expressions Kise made and he wanted all of them only to himself.

Aomine was smart enough to perceive that all of these feelings, these emotions, these thoughts, they are all felt towards someone special... someone who they want to be with, someone would could make their heart pound someone they...like.

And Kise made his heart pound, Aomine found himself craving the blonde's company all the time, wanting to meet him, wanting to be close to him. But is this what 'like' feels like?, he questioned himself. He never fell in love before neither did he take interest in anybody. He was confused.

* * *

Kise, on the other hand, enjoyed texting and sending pictures of him to Aomine considerably. Aomine hadn't complimented him since they met at the park but he did reply him no matter what. His replies included _"It looks silly", "You look stupid", "Only on idiot would wear those"_...all became cute to him.

Kise had always known that Aomine was rude and arrogant but that was only an exterior he let other people see. Kise discovered that Aomine had a soft side to him. Kise realized Aomine will always reply him instantly which never failed to bring a smile to his face. Even though Aomine didn't directly compliment him on his photos, he never made it seem like modelling was a total waste of time and he was never condescending. Aomine never got annoyed with him, never told him to stop texting or stop sending photos.

When Kise asked him to compliment him a little, Aomine on the other end blushed as he recollected something and replied, "Shut up, stupid!" Kise smiled to himself when he received the text. Kise seemed to understand that the tanned boy wasn't really honest with him, he acted a bit tsundere, he becomes flustered over emotions and feelings.

But Aomine does sometimes let his guard down around him which made the blonde feel special. He felt that he was trustworthy enough for Aomine where he felt comfortable to be himself.

When it came to the tanned boy's outward appearance, Kise thought that Aomine is extremely attractive; he had his own charm going for him. His confidence being one of them, his smirks are sexy, his skin was a delightful chocolate colour, his midnight blue eyes made him alluring, his short navy blue hair suited him too well, his ripped abs made him piping hot.

He had an unapproachable aura around him through which he gave an impression of being mysterious and the bad boy attitude benefited him. And Kise found his voice being one of the best features about him. His voice is deep and harsh and husky which was a masculine one for a mere teenager.

Kise blushed dark red as he realized his thoughts have went ashtray again, he was leaning against the wall in the middle of the work. His manager called out his name loudly to bring him out of the trance; he muttered a few apologies to his manager and got back to work. Kise got distracted too easily these days.

It was the weekend finally and Kise and Aomine met at the same park with the tanned boy just arriving at the right time. He saw the mop of blonde hair approaching him while his heart began thudding in the walls of his chest.

He scowled inwardly and said tauntingly trying to avoid his heart, "Oh, so the ace of Kaijo does know how to arrive on time."

"Aominecchi, I do know how to arrive on time, it's just that work holds me back." The blonde said while pouting, his pink lips jutting forward with an O shape.

 _Cute_ , Aomine sighed inwardly. ' _He's so cute...'_ Aomine blinked and halted his thoughts right then and there, he was with the blonde himself, the guy towards whom he held feelings which confused him to no end. He was not going to let his emotions get the better of him.

* * *

But he was failing as he found it difficult to keep himself in check, his heart refused to calm down. Kise stood in front of him blocking his every movement, Aomine bounced the ball up and down. He stared at Kise's dark amber eyes filled with determination. His eyes were really pretty, his eyelashes curved at the corner making it look like he had applied eyeliner of some sort.

His milky skin, his plump pink lips, the fringe of his blonde silky hair sticking to his damp forehead, his perfectly shaped nose...

Aomine dribbled the ball through one of his legs about to cross from the same, Kise caught the ball quickly and ran back to the other side.

Aomine was dumbfounded. _'Shit, I'm being slow!'_ he thought in a frenzy. The tanned boy quickly ran across catching up to the blonde and blocked him quickly; he needed to get his head in the game.

The blonde smirked which caught Aomine's attention distractedly, before Aomine could think or react, Kise shot a two pointer.

 _Fuck._

But, later, Aomine did manage to concentrate and Kise lost again. "A-Aominecchi, just wait...o-one day, you'll definitely lose, lose...to me." The blonde muttered while panting.

Aomine smirked and said, "Maybe in your dreams, Kise!"

Kise took out the water bottle from his bag, while taking a few gulps out of the bottle, he suddenly felt Aomine's gaze on him. _'Again, he's staring at me again'._ He pretended not to notice, he didn't dare to glance sideways. His heart started hammering in his chest. He is used to have people stare at him but Aomine's piercing gaze made him nervous. It made his heart pound in unusual anticipation. It made his toes curl in his shoes.

Aomine watched him, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he drank the water, his lips wrapped around the head of the bottle. He felt his own throat getting dry and thought he's getting thirsty himself, he ordered Kise in a soft voice, "Oi, blondie, go get me Coke from the vending machine...over there..." Aomine pointed at a particular spot across the court from where they stood at.

"Why do I always have to buy you things?" The blonde asked slumping his shoulders with droopy eyes.

"Because you lost, now go get me it or I'll throw this basketball at your head." Aomine smirked poking fun at him.

Kise mumbled, "Bullyminecchi!" While walking away. Aomine chuckled to himself as he could just see the other boy's ears drooping like a puppy.

Aomine eyed Kise's lean frame appreciatively, his eyes darted to his nape, ' _flawless'_ he thought. His eyes moved to the slight curve of his waist hidden well under his clothes, then on long slender legs and his gaze finally settled on his ass, _'seems plump'_ He fancied the blonde crudely and growled animalistically.

Kise bought him the can, all the more aware of his heart still pounding and the tanned boy's stare at him. He slowly looked up and met Aomine's eyes and noticed there was something being reflected in his eyes, something he can't point his finger at. He quickly averted his eyes and turned around, feeling himself blush again. He observed that Aomine had been staring him quite intensely for a while now and it made him...jittery.

The tanned boy quickly emptied the can and threw it in the trash. They left the park, neither of them broke the silence surrounding them. Kise's heart was racing as he knew Aomine was glancing at him every now and then. During the one on one, Aomine was well aware of how he noticed Kise's frame...crudely. He just couldn't help it.

They both made some small talk during the walk and quietly said goodbye when they reached the metro. Aomine reached home and sighed heavily, he took a shower and flopped on his bed.

He thought of Kise again, the day replayed in his mind. He frowned, he was thinking way too much of Kise...of another guy, his thoughts weren't exactly decent and he decided he needed a distraction.

He couldn't play basketball now, he won't sleep so early at merely 8pm, he wasn't hungry, there's nothing to watch on television. He needed a strong distraction to momentarily forget about the blonde boy...maybe a girl he could fill his mind with. He reached down under his bed and took out his Mai-chan collection. Maybe a big breasted chick would do him some good.

He flipped the pages, each and every one of them with Horitaka Mai posing in lingerie. But this didn't work. Horitaka wasn't as tall as Kise's, her skin was way too fair for Aomine's liking while Kise had the perfect milky skin, her eyes aren't as pretty as Kise's; her lcurve didn't curve around the edgesand they lashes looked fake, her lips aren't as full as Kise's and her hair isn't a lovely shade of blonde as Kise's. The only thing she had going on for herself are her breasts but even they failed to do the trick for him.

He threw the magazine across his bed. He sighed as put his arm around his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep his mind blank, trying to distract himself by Basketball. But soon enough he saw a flash of blonde hair, flash of pretty pink lips, flash of lovely amber eyes, flash of milky skin, flash of the blonde's lean frame, flash of his slender legs and he felt his heart race, he groaned when he immediately felt the blood rush to his cock.

His jaw clenched thinking, _'No, no, no, this...THIS is NOT happening, I'm not going to let this happen...I'm not going to jerk off while thinking about him.'_ Aomine scowled in anger.

But his mind refused to listen to him, his thoughts directed back to the gorgeous blonde. His sweet voice, his exuberant smile, his lips, his pretty neck inviting the tanned boy to suck on, to leave a bunch of red marks on...Aomine ignored his growing erection.

His breathing became irregular as his mind was filled with the blonde's images. He started panting a little and he let his mind wander off. He wished to kiss the blonde, kiss him hard on his lips, wanted to thrust his tongue in and out of the blonde, rendering him powerless, stealing his breath away.

His thoughts moved forward to Kise's neck, then to his collarbone... _'what would it taste like'_ Aomine wondered. Kise's slightly tones abs under his clothes, Aomine had an urge to run his fingers across his chest wanting to settle them at his pink rosy nipples. The tanned boy swallowed thickly as he felt his throat getting dry.

He imagined biting on them and sucking them until they are red, licking them, wanting to see them hard and making the blonde moan erotically, making him moan his name, 'Aominecchi~'

Aomine's cock twitched and he was fully hard now, his erection straining in his pants. He sat upright and stared at his bulge, his cock begging for some relief. It made no effort to go away. He gritted his teeth and he licked his lips as he realized they had gotten dry.

He gradually took his pants down to his calf and took his cock out from his underwear and exhaled in relief as he grabbed it a little too roughly, he begun by giving it a few strokes. He panted a little and started fantasizing about Kise again; he imagined Kise underneath him, on his bed, watching his amber eyes filled with tears, his lips parted, his pale hands twisting in the bedsheets, his blonde hair in a disarray...

" _Ah fuck...'_ " Aomine grumbled, pumping his cock furiously, soon enough it was smeared with pre-cum, his cock felt too hard and slick, he griped the sheets tightly from his other hand, having Kise in his imagination acting lewd was having an intense effect on him.

The blonde in his imaginations moaned, " _Aominecchi...t-touch me more~"_ The blonde in his imaginations begged, _"More...I need more, to-touch me all over."_

Aomine fantasized about grabbing Kise's cock, the pink tip leaking with beads of pre cum, stroking him until he was a panting and a moaning mess, making the blonde arch his back erotically...

Imagined stroking him with vigour as the blonde whimpered and writhed under him deliciously, stroking him until the blonde warned him that _he's coming, he's coming_ and cum he did, spurting his cum in Aomine's hand, crying out his name in pleasure... "Ngh...Aominecchi.." And the tanned boy gave himself some rough strokes realizing he's close and he let out a guttural moan, 'Ahh...fuck!" and he came hard convulsing, "FUCK! fuck!...Ki-kise! spilling cum on his hands. Aomine trembled wildly, his legs shaking and panted, "Hah...hah...", his eyes were closed as he felt satisfied, he rested his head against the headboard of his bed.

He felt pure bliss. Never had he cum so hard to the point of trembling. He looked at his hand and he shook his head, ' _what a mess.'_

Aomine quickly gathered some tissues from the nightstand, he wiped his hands clean and threw them in the trash.

* * *

In all his 16 years, Aomine has only ever thought of girls, has only jerked off to girls and now he can't stop thinking about a boy...a boy who's a former teammate, who is his friend. A boy with a body much like his own yet different than his, a boy who he had just jerked off to.

He was confused about his feelings about Kise but now it became all the more clear to him. He likes Kise, likes him romantically and likes him sexually.

He became aware of the fact that he likes men...more specifically only one man, Kise. He knew for sure he can never be attracted to another man, he can never envision himself with somebody else and there's only ever Kise for him.

He never questioned his sexuality before but now he found himself pondering and admitting that he's gay. He never held any prejudice against homosexuals...truthfully he never even thought about being gay or anything for that matter, all his head ever thought about was Basketball and Kise.

Aomine heaved a sigh in defeat and closed his eyes and thought if he ever were to tell the blonde about his feelings towards him just what would happen.

Would he accept or reject? Would he be disgusted or would he even care? Would they stop talking or would it not affect him? Will their friendship be ruined or something new will begin?

Aomine suddenly felt down, he didn't want to jeopardize things, this was a risk. He didn't want to lose the blonde's friendship.

He knew the blonde was always surrounded by people, surrounded by girls. If he never told him anything, the blonde will marry some woman and have some kids.

Aomine furrowed his eyebrows while he tried to register his latter thought...Kise with a woman? Kise with another person?. _'Fuck no'_ He felt his blood boil in anger and thought vehemently, _'Fuck it, I'll be damned if I ever let anyone have Kise, If he isn't in love with me. I'll make sure he falls for me, I'll make sure he becomes mine...only mine.'_ He smirked as he acquired a newfound determination.


	11. Aomine's resolve

Aomine pushed Kise on his bed, attacking his mouth with his lips, "Wait, wait, A-Aominecchi!", the blonde said in between kisses, trying to put some distance between them. The tanned teen broke the kiss, "What is it? I don't think I can wait." His breaths coming in short puffs, "Y-you're going to fast!" The blonde told him, looking away shyly.

"I've been craving this from a long time, now shut up." "Bu-" the blonde was silenced by the onslaught of the other teen's lips.

They kissed in a frenzy with their tongues mingling, exchanging saliva.

Kise finally let his arms wrap around the tanned boy's neck and let out a soft moan, 'mhmmm...'

Aomine helped Kise pull his shirt over his head and started peppering kisses on his neck, sliding down to his chest. He licked his nipples and sucked on them gently, the blonde arched his back with his chest heaving, "Ahh...haa"

Aomine quickly unbuckled his belt and Kise's and pulled Kise's pants off along with his boxers. He grabbed and stroked the blonde's pink cock gently, "Look at you, you're so hard and you asked me to wait?" The blonde couldn't reply back as he felt pleasure building up.

Aomine grabbed a bottle of lube from the night stand, poured it over his fingers, lubing them properly and inserted each digit one by one inside Kise's tight hot heat.

Kise's mouth fell open at the sudden intrusion and his pale fingers grabbed the bedsheets tightly, wrinkling them. 'Ahh...haaa..hah' The blonde moaned.

Kise's insides felt too hot, too warm, and too soft to Aomine.

The tanned boy continued stretching him until he was perfectly prepared. Aomine swiftly took out his cock from the gap of his boxers, it stood proud and he rubbed against Kise's entrance.

He leaned towards Kise and asked with a smirk gracing his face, "Kise, what do you want?" Kise looked up at him with tear stained eyes and mouthed 'You.' Aomine said, "I can't hear you, Kise, be loud." With a smug face.

Kise knew the tanned boy was teasing him; he pressed his lips together, and wrapped his arms around Aomine pulling him close and begged reluctantly. "You...I want you, Aominecchi. Pl-please, please..."

Aomine gave a triumphant smirk and thrust all of his cock at once inside Kise. Kise let out a silent gasp with his eyes wide and mouth open and instinctively wrapped his legs around Aomine's waist.

Aomine almost completely slid out of him and thrust back with full force and the blonde gasped again. He moaned out in half in pain and half in pleasure, "ngh...A-Aomine-.." The tears falling from the corners of his closed eyes.

"Ahh...haaa..Aomin-Aomi..chi" Kise moaned as pleasure coursed through his body. "Mgh...ha..more..Aominecchi."

And Aomine obeyed with him, thrusting harder than before.

Aomine fastened his pace, jerking his hips forward while he rocked Kise back and forth in frantically.

The tanned teen grunted with every thrust, with every jerk and he wrapped his arms around the blonde's lithe body.

"I'm cumming...ngh..." Kise almost shrieked.

"Kise, Me t-"

...ep...

eep...

beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Aomine's eyes snapped open and he suddenly jolted upright on his bed, he looked around to see what's happening. He couldn't comprehend what was going on. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind was muddled from sleep and his dream, blue eyes finally settled on the source of the annoying noise, it was the alarm and the digital clock displayed the time-7am.

"Fuck, It was another dream" He muttered in frustration to himself, he slammed his hand on the clock to turn off the incessant noise. His breathing was shallow and he noticed he was sweating profusely. He sighed to himself and ran his hand across his blue hair trying to regain control of his nerves.

 _'Another dream'_ he thought to himself again.

Lately, he had started dreaming about Kise, each dream being erotic than the previous one. He lost count of how many times he jerked off to the blonde.

He looked down as he pulled the blanket off of him and felt his cock rock hard under his clothes, the inside of his boxers felt soaked and completely sticky.

He growled in annoyance. He rubbed the back of his neck and took off his pants along with his boxers and sighed at the pathetic state he found himself in. His cock hard, the tip red with anger and steadily leaked pre-cum, it was too slick. He sighed again when he grabbed his cock which showed no signs of backing down.

He started to stroke himself in rhythmic patterns and the images of his vivid dream filled his mind again, Kise's begs, his eyes, his moans, his flushed body, his heat, his heaving chest, his bruised lips, his inviting body and Aomine came hard, moaning out Kise's name.

He quickly got up to wash his boxers and cleaned up the mess he created.

 _'This is so pathetic, why the fuck I can't control myself_ " He mumbled in irritation under his breath. He felt disgruntled.

 _'Idiot Kise, no wait, he's an angel. The idiot one here is me.'_ Aomine was exasperated at himself.

He cursed his teenage hormones. He knew he was in his prime adolescent years and this is somehow normal but his sexual urges left him frustrated to no end.

He shamelessly satisfied his urges while thinking of defiling the blonde in numerous situations and positions. He brazenly resorted to masturbate in his school toilet after the blonde texted him a rather cute and a beautiful snapshot of him. And the flashes of his dreams and fantasies came flooding back to him.

A sigh escaped his lips trying to figure out a way to deal with everything. He knew he liked the blonde, he knew he held sexual feelings for him, all the lust combined with love overwhelmed him.

* * *

After leaving school, he decided to drop by the magazine store to buy the latest Horitaka Mai-chan collection. Even though he can't get hard to her anymore, he still appreciated the view.

As he was about to go to pay for the magazine when blue eyes fell upon Zunon boy, a magazine that showcases Kise's modelling career. He's realized he's never really seen Kise's works.

He raised his eyebrows at the cover, a small article at the corner of the page was titled, 'A sneak peak of Kise Ryouta's latest photo shoot.' He scoffed at the magazine but in the end he bought it.

He reached home and headed straight to his room and lied down on his bed, he took the magazine out which featured Kise's photos.

The magazine only did a small article on Kise's shoot. _'Why did I buy this again?'_ He asked himself mindlessly and received an answer from himself, _'It's because you like him'_ and he muttered under his breath "Oh, right" with a roll of his eyes.

He flipped some pages and saw Kise's photos.

He stared at the images for few minutes and discovered that Kise looked so different in these photos. He seems earnest; his usual demeanour of a bubbly, hyper energetic dog couldn't be seen in these photographs.

He posed in different clothes, in one photo he wore a very simple and casual brown t-shirt, with his hair swaying in the breeze, under the sun, it made Aomine think that he's giving competition to the sun itself. He sneered at his own silly thought.

In another photo he wore a classy black a suit and a tie, Kise looked sharp and he had an air of maturity around him. Aomine's never seen Kise like this before.

It's like he had two different personalities. One which where he acted like an idiot, where he acted like a kid, where he was clingy...That was all off camera, the person the tanned teen usually interacted with.

And the other is this one, his work personality. He seemed a professional, too serious and concentrated. Nobody could ever suspect that the blonde actually has a carefree and vibrant disposition.

Aomine smiled to himself, he felt proud of the blonde. He can do anything if he sets his mind to, he can be good at just about anything (maybe excluding studies)

Kise was too charming, too fascinating. No wonder people fussed over the model.

He read the contents of the magazine and found out that Kise has a new photo book coming and later proceeded to skim through the magazine. He put it away finding the other things tedious.

He didn't dwell long on Kise's photos, afraid he would get another boner.

* * *

It was the weekend again and the blonde arrived fashionably late. Aomine would have scolded him but he was too busy trying to calm his nerves. His heart made funny palpitations again in his rib cage as soon as he saw his object of affection approach.

Kise sprinted towards him with a frantic wave of his hands and Aomine could have sworn he needed sunglasses or something to shield his eyes from the blinding light Kise brought with him.

The blonde muttered some apologies for being late; he told the tanned teen that the trains got delayed due to some maintenance work. Aomine didn't reply anything, neither did he complain. He just averted his eyes from the amber ones which stared right at him.

The taller teen picked up the ball and said, "As usual, the loser buys something for the winner to eat."

The blonde rolled his eyes, it was their usual routine, he didn't have to remind him.

The game began with both of them giving it their all but Aomine was struggling inside.

The flashes of his fantasies and dreams had begun to pop up his mind.

He found it difficult to concentrate on the game. He was too close to Kise, he could feel the body heat radiating off him, he could feel his hot breath whenever they passed through each other, he caught a whiff of the blonde's natural scent- _he smells so good_ , he could see the sweat on his milky skin dripping and sliding down under his shirt, his hair slightly drenched with beads of sweat, he could see the way his pink lips had gotten dry-' _they could definitely use some moisture'_ He thought inwardly.

Amber eyes stared at right the cerulean blue ones, the eyes which the tanned teen loves immensely.

How was he supposed to concentrate when the blonde was right in front of him, when the words "I like you, I like you, I like you..." echoed in the tanned teen's mind, subconsciously.

The blonde blocked the blue haired teen, not letting the tanned teen make any free movements.

But Aomine was too distracted, he was distracted the last time they played together too but Aomine just couldn't think of anything else but the blonde.

He hated being so distracted during a game. He never compromised during Basketball and he wasn't about to begin now.

He managed to break free from Kise and later he also stole the ball from the blonde after the blonde stole it from him. He faked a shot but Kise predicted that the tanned teen will fake through his posture and the blonde succeeded in stopping him.

Aomine tried his hardest throughout the game but nearing the end, they both were tied. The blonde finally caught the ball in his hand again and gave a winning blow using the formless shot and the ball went in a soft swish sound.

Aomine tsk'd at the action. He lost to Kise for the first time in his life. He felt bitter, not because he lost but because he couldn't give it his all throughout the game.

No basketball player deserves to win when their opponent is distracted.

Aomine was slightly panting as he tried to pull himself together.

The blonde couldn't believe what had just happened. This victory didn't settle well with him. It seemed out of place to him.

During the game, he noticed something about Aomine, he seemed distracted. His eyes wouldn't stay at one place and his movements were all over the place, he was slow and he seemed to drift off.

They left and park and walked towards the metro.

Kise asked him, "What's the matter? You seemed distracted, Aominecchi."

The tanned teen blinked when he realized that Kise noticed his struggle but glad that he didn't know the entire matter. He said, "Ah, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." The taller teen tried to sound nonchalant.

"Aominecchi, it's not nothing. You just lost to me and I don't accept this kind of victory." The blonde sounded irritated. He always had wanted to win against Aomine but not like this, when Aomine couldn't focus properly.

But the blonde also came to realize that whatever is bothering the tanned teen must be something huge, he would never lose a game in his entire lifetime if the issue was trivial.

He felt offended that Aomine wouldn't share or convey his struggles to him.

"Or am I not trustworthy enough for you to share your worries with me?" Kise asked bitterly, his eyes glaring at the taller teen.

"Idiot, it's not like that" The tanned boy quickly stated sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. He didn't want the blonde to misunderstand.

"Then what is it like? You NEVER lost to me, Aominecchi and you were highly distracted today" The blonde felt indignant, he felt sad and angry when the tanned teen refused to tell him.

Aomine raised his eyebrows in surprise; Kise never used this kind of a tone with him. He sensed the blonde's uneasiness, "Ughh, There has been something bothering me, don't worry, I'll take care of it. It's nothing bad, I assure you." Aomine curled his lips into a reassuring smile.

The blonde tilted his head in confusion, he didn't knew what the blue haired teen meant and nodded "...okay. If Aominecchi says so." The blonde mumbled.

Aomine put an arm around his shoulder and said, "Now, stop looking so down and be your usual cheery self." And ruffled his blonde hair fondly. His smile faded as soon as those words left his mouth and his actions stopped.

Before Aomine can say anything, the blonde blinked and gave him a wide smile with the skin around his eyes crinkling. His wide smile made Aomine's heartbeat stop for a moment, _'ah, this guy is going to be the death of me, one day.'_

Kise didn't know why but he suddenly felt all too happy, the smile on his face didn't fade away and spoke, "Aominecchi is really sweet!" And Aomine felt his cheeks blush at the compliment, _'wasn't he mad at me a minute ago?_ '

He decided not to fret over it and he asked him with a quirk of his blue eyebrow, "Oh? You think I'm sweet ha? What else do you think about me?"

"Hmm, Aominecchi is really cool!" The blonde exclaimed with excitement.

"What else?" The tanned teen asked him, his heart now racing.

"Aominecchi always makes me happy." The blonde said in an exhilarating tone. Aomine's eyes widened and he felt himself grow happy. He felt sudden warmth spreading through his chest.

He sighed and ran put his palm on his face, rubbing his temples, _'he's really too cute, I wish I could kiss the living daylights out of him now.'_

Aomine opened his mouth to ask him something but Kise interrupted him by pulling his hand, dragging him towards a store, "Ne, ne, Aominecchi you're going to buy me ice cream today."

"What? Why?" Aomine's expression soon turned into a frown.

"Because you lost today and loser buys winner something to eat, right?" The blonde taunted him along with a smirk.

"But you said, 'I don't accept this kind of victory-ssu' " Aomine mimicked him in a nasal whiny voice mockingly with a funny shake of his head.

Kise stared at him unimpressively at the attempted imitation, "...Okay, first of all, I don't sound like that and second of all, you still lost so you have to buy." The blonde pouted.

Aomine chuckled slightly at the cute response, "Which flavour do you want? The usual, Gari gari kun?"

"No, not that. I'll try something new today; buy me a Choco Banana ice cream."

Aomine cocked a blue eyebrow at him, "...Kise, it's expensive."

"I know that's why I want it. It's not every day that you buy me things, Aominecchi." Kise retorted with a playful smirk with an arch of a yellow eyebrow himself.

Aomine heard a soft giggle escaped the blonde's mouth, he whispered under his breath, "Just you wait until I get my hands on you." His tone low enough to fall onto his ears only.

He bought the same ice cream for both of them.

Kise asked him, "You like this flavour?" Aomine replied, "It's Banana flavour, I happen to like Bananas." Kise found himself smiling at the cute revelation.

Kise unwrapped the ice cream and commented, "Wah, the banana is inside and it's coated with chocolate!" Aomine raised his eyebrows.

He turned sideways to look at the blonde. He saw Kise darting out his pink tongue and licking the tip. Aomine felt his mouth slowly hang open. He blinked trying to understand the upcoming gravity of the situation. He felt something familiar stir inside of him.

He averted his eyes and unwrapped his own dessert.

 _'Is this a bad idea? I just got dirty thoughts out of my mind a while ago.'_ Aomine wondered.

And indeed it was a bad idea.

He saw Kise nibble the tip and take a soft bite out of it. Aomine blinked slowly, devouring the rare sight. He could have sworn that he stopped breathing.

He knew that this is how people usually eat ice cream, the way Kise was enjoying the cold treat had no innuendo in it. But Aomine still thought otherwise. He gulped when Kise traced his tongue alongside the popsicle and felt his heart beating fast.

 _'What fresh hell is this? I don't think I'm ready for a live show!'_ he thought to himself as he felt his brain slow down.

Aomine bit his lower lip and his eyes stayed fixed on the blonde.

Kise glanced at Aomine and blinked, "Wah! Aominecchi! Your icecream is melting and you haven't even taken a bite of it." Aomine blinked too, the statement had broken him out of the daze and saw the ice cream was melting and a few drops of it were staining the surface of the ground they stood on. He quickly began to eat his own popsicle.

But soon enough he glanced in the blonde's direction, he became distracted to concentrate on his own treat. He couldn't tear his eyes off of the beautiful blonde.

Kise's popsicle was starting to melt; he traced his tongue from the bottom and he licked his way up, the cold bits of it settling on his tongue and he swallowed.

Aomine felt suddenly all too hot... _'Is he doing this on purpose? I-I think I need a distraction.'_

He glanced at Kise again, he was still licking the popsicle...sensually.

 _'I really need a distraction or things might take a turn for worse.'_ He pondered for a moment, various things for his much needed distraction popping up in his mind.

He thought of food cooked by Momoi but soon got rid of it, he didn't want to hurl.

He thought of Basketball, it didn't help. His brain unexpectedly conjured an image of a certain red-black haired teen, his rival-Kagami. 'Kagami? Oh...that works' The tanned teen raised his blue eyebrows in surprise as he thought of his rival.

 _'What's up with his hair? And why the hell are his eyebrows like that? Why are they double?'_ The teen found himself effectively distracted and he chuckled mockingly.

But then Kise inadvertently let out a pleasing sound, "Hmm...this ice cream tastes really good, Aominecchi..." And that caught the tanned teen's attention.

Aomine sharply turned his head towards the blonde, the sentence sounded too moan-ish and sexual to the tanned teen.

Aomine's felt his blood rushing somewhere else and he mumbled carelessly, "I bet mine tastes better." His breaths now coming out in short puffs.

The blonde cocked his head at him and asked, "What?"

"I-I mean the popsicle, the flavour." The tanned teen commented, getting flustered.

"Eh? What are you talking about? It's the same flavour as mine." The blonde looked confused.

"Oh right, right, I guess I just forgot." Aomine waved his hand in front of the blonde, trying to minimize the confusing state of the situation.

"Aominecchi, you're being really strange today." The blonde stated looking away, getting back to his popsicle.

Aomine made no response, he had long forgotten about the ice cream which he hasn't even finished halfway yet. It dripped onto the pavement they had been walking on continuously.

He ogled at the blonde next to him, Kise's ice cream was starting to melt from all the sides, he saw Kise hurriedly lapping his tongue around all the sides in a circular motion and he took it all in his mouth at once to stop it from melting further _AND_ Aomine was done for.

Aomine's heart started to race in his chest, his breathing became erratic, his throat felt dry, he felt his body get hot, his hands were getting clammy.

Kise slowly, painfully slowly pulled the treat out of his mouth.

He felt all of his blood rushing to his cock, he was in public and he felt his cock getting really hard. He cursed himself several times inwardly.

 _Why in the world did I have to buy the damn popsicle when I know my hormones are out of control!'_ He wanted to bang his head somewhere against the wall _._

Kise took small bites from his treat, licking everywhere.

The view felt all too erotic to the taller teen. For a moment he wanted to pull the treat from the blonde's mouth just to shove it back inside. His imaginative brain conjured an entire scene inside, like an excerpt of a film.

He envisioned the blonde's amber eyes getting teary and his mouth full of the treat, the contents melting and dripping from the corners of his mouth. He imagined pulling out and ramming back inside his throat, emitting desperate and muffled cries and moans from the blonde.

 _'Stop! Stop! Stop!'_ Aomine screamed inwardly. His cock now strained in his pants and he was pretty sure that it was getting wet inside.

He noticed Kise was done with the popsicle now and Aomine got rid of his own share of the expensive bought treat by throwing it away.

He knew he needed to go home immediately or he will be in huge trouble, he was outside and didn't want to embarrass himself in anyway.

He wiped the sweat covering his forehead and asked the blonde, "Kise, you think you can go to the metro by yourself?"

"E-eh? O-Of course, I can. Why?" The blonde questioned.

"I just remembered I have something to do, I need to hurry back home." the tanned teen replied hastily.

"Is it something important? Do you need my help?" The blonde looked worried.

"What? No. It's nothing important. I just need to finish it." As much as he would appreciate the blonde's help, he knew he couldn't just say anything, not now.

"Umm, if Aominecchi says so. I can go back on my own." Kise felt a tad bit disappointed. He always liked it when Aomine accompanied him all the way to the metro just to see him off.

"Good and hey, careful on your way back." The ace spoke in a gentle voice.

"Y-yeah, you too." He heard Kise reply.

And Aomine dashed home.

Kise saw the taller figure disappear in the crowds and heavily sighed to himself. He noticed Aomine was really out of it and he isn't being his usual self. He wished whatever has been worrying his friend will be soon sorted out.

Lately, Kise wanted to spend more of his time with his friend. But his work and school held him back. He wished he had some spare time to meet Aomine and not just on the weekends.

* * *

Aomine rushed back home. He entered the house, ignored all of his mother's calls to him, rushed back to his room and slammed the door shut behind him.

He slid down against the door, unfastened his belt, let his pants slide down following his boxers and released his cock, heaving a sigh in relief.

His cock was wet from the thick liquid and it stood proud. He began stroking it while he let his mind get fill with the thoughts of the beautiful blonde.

He bit his lower lip trying to muffle his sounds, his mind replayed the scene but replacing cold treat with his own cock, he unashamedly visualized thrusting his cock in and outside the blonde's mouth which he imagined would be extremely warm and slick with the fluids.

His legs buckled slightly with the imagination of his hands gripping tightly on the silky blonde locks, Kise gagging on his cock, his molten honey eyes stinging with tears as the blonde himself enjoyed the entire assault of his throat.

 _'Fuck, FUCK!'_

Aomine felt himself reach the climax and he fastened his pace. He squeezed his eyes shut, his eyebrows furrowed and he came hard, spurting the liquid all over his palms, some drops of it falling on the surface of the floor.

Aomine panted heavily as the tension left his body. He sat there for few moments until he lifted himself up and cleaned up the entire mess.

He felt guilty for using the blonde in his fantasies wantonly, he groaned in anger. This is getting out of hands and he wanted to regain the control over the situation.

* * *

Aomine sat up on his bed with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed while he contemplated, resting against the headboard.

He did self proclaim that he would make the blonde fall in love with him but what he didn't know was a way to actually accomplish that. He doubted that the blonde might have feelings for him, he did blush every now and then. But that wasn't a sound confirmation.

When he faces the blonde next time just how is he supposed to behave? His control slipped from his hands today and he had no intention of repeating that. He made a mental note of never buying the blonde anytime of icecream.

He wanted to tell the blonde about his feelings, wanted to confess just how much he liked him. Wanted to hold him, inhale his scent, pester him with kisses, wanted to be with him day in and day out, and so many other things.

But if he were to confess, how will the blonde take it?, the tanned teen wondered, various questions filled his mind.

He growled loudly in frustration in the empty room. He decided to cast off all his worries. He opened his blue eyes when he felt his vision getting clearer and in a jiffy he resolved to confess to Kise the next time he meets him.

He lips curled into a smile when he finally made a firm decision confront the blonde about his feelings.


	12. I Like You

**Hello guys, I have a beta reader now- BadlyBroken0028. All my further chapters will be edited by her. Thank you.**

* * *

"So, uh, Satsuki..." Aomine faked a yawn, bringing his hand to cover his mouth. "If you were going to confess your feelings to Tetsu, how would you do it?" He tried to sound as indifferent as possible. He tried to keep his face neutral, showing no signs of distress.

He glanced at the girl next to him; they were going home together, the sun was setting behind them after they had finished their club activities for the day.

He felt a pair of large pink eyes stare at him, calculatingly. He sighed silently, looking away and wanted to rub the back of his head.

If Aomine had asked the question rather sincerely, the girl would have blushed a shade of pink quite similar to her hair. But she knew that Aomine would never take interest in her personal life, he has no interest in matters regarding other people. And the question put forth is asked with wary.

She narrowed her eyes at him. She could instantly tell the motives Aomine has behind the question. She let the question linger in the air until she decided to play along. "I would just express my feelings clearly to the person I like."

Aomine sighed again. "But if you actually had to put it in words, how would you go on with it?"

Now it was Momoi's turn to sigh. "Just tell them what I actually feel." She gave him another vague reply.

Aomine clenched his jaw but kept quiet. He appears to be in deep thought, the girl noticed.

"Why are you asking this, Dai-chan?" The girl asked, hoping to get an honest answer out of him.

"No reason, I was just curious." The boy answered in another indifferent tone.

"You were curious about how I would go on about confessing to Tetsu kun?" Pink eyebrows rose in slight surprise. _He could have at least come up with a better excuse._

"...Yes". Aomine paused before answering.

She tore her eyes off of Aomine and looked ahead; the streets were filled with the hustle bustle of the city, it's full of complications and disarray just like the flow of the conversation between her and her blue haired friend.

Knowing Aomine, he wouldn't just come out and say it until she is being direct. "So I reckon you finally admitted that you like Ki-chan and now you want to confess to him."

Aomine almost stopped in his tracks. He gasped and his lips slightly parted in surprise. "What-I-you, what are you talking about?" The teen's voice almost broke near the end. He gulped heavily. He decided to ignore the erratic beating of his heart and continued, "What does this have to do with Kise?"

"Everything." The pink haired girl stated clearly.

Aomine blinked several times, not believing his childhood friend. "I-I don't understand you, Satsuki. Whatever it is, I think you've got it wr-wrong." He blurted out, trying to act dumb.

The tanned teen was surprised. He had no idea that his childhood friend was aware about his feelings for the blond. He thought he kept a lid on them by maintaining secrecy. But unfortunately for him, Momoi could read him like a book. "Dai-chan, give it up, I know you like Ki-chan, I've known that for quite a while now."

Aomine opened his mouth to speak but soon closed it. He didn't know what to say, various questions filled his mind. He was confused and nervous and his heart was pounding quite loudly in his chest.

"You're wrong, Satsuki, I don't li-"

"You really lack subtlety, Dai-chan, it's written all over your face that you like him." A tired sigh escaped her lips, yet again.

"What?!" Aomine was shocked again, his eyes wide, not believing her.

"Let me list you some things that indicate you like him." She chuckled.

"Hah?!" Aomine scowled, knitting his eyebrows in annoyance.

She began, counting them on her fingers. "You remember you asked me about how to approach Ki-chan after you guys had a fall out, you wanted to be with him again, wanted to reconcile with him? That is one of the few too many things."

"But that was-"

"And remember when you asked me about your friend being jealous and all that, yeah I knew you were talking about Ki-chan and you were the one who was jealous."

"Oi, you-"

Momoi gave him no opportunity to retort. "Let me finish, Dai-chan!" She puffed out her cheeks but continued, "Every time you receive a text from Ki-chan, your face brightens up and you smile. YOU SMILE! I'd have to be blind to not to notice that, actually anybody would have to be blind to not to see that."

Aomine's eye twitched. The corner of lips twisting into a snarl.

She continued. "And also, when other girls go gaga over Ki-chan's photos in school, you look at them with the intent of murdering them, it's like you want to kill them with your set of murderous glares."

"It's no-"

"And I also remember when you punched Haizaki-kun to protect Ki-chan."

Aomine grimaced at the statement.

"And, and now-a-days, you seem to be scowling less and you appear to be happy, if that doesn't make anybody believe that you like Ki-chan, I don't know what would." She smirked in triumph, knowing very well she just shut him up.

Her every sentence felt like a jab to Aomine's pride.

Momoi would have mentioned other things, starting back from Teiko but she held back her tongue. She figured this many reasons are enough for now.

Aomine was stupefied, he stared at her incredulously, he had no idea he acted this way and he was starting to feel embarrassed. He took a deep breath trying to digest this sickening information. _Am I really that obvious?_ he questioned himself.

For a while neither of them spoke. Aomine wasn't expecting this so he took a moment to accept that his childhood friend knows quite well. Although he knew he shouldn't be surprised, Momoi was naturally observant but he just couldn't help himself.

The tanned teen rubbed the back of his neck. "So you're okay with this? Of me liking another guy, isn't it weird?" He asked, his tone filled with anxiety.

She glanced at him before returning her gaze on the road lay before her. "Yes, I am okay with it. I don't think it's weird, if anything I think it's good."

Blue eyebrows rose in surprise, this is another thing he wasn't expecting. His childhood friend is being supportive and he was starting to appreciate it.

She continued, "I think Ki-chan and you are well suited for each other. I've known you since childhood and I have a feeling that Ki-chan wouldn't mind dealing with you."

"What the hell? Dealing with me?" Aomine frowned in annoyance.

"Yes, you get a new babysitter!" She let out a giggle, the sentence irritated the teen aplenty.

But before he can retort, Momoi spoke again, "He understands you pretty well, I think you guys have certain chemistry and I feel like you can make each other happy."

"What makes you say that?" Aomine cocked his eyebrow at her, the sentence piqued his interest in his childhood friend's opinion.

"Woman's intuition." The girl stated fiercely with a shake of her fist.

The tanned teen looked at her unimpressively and rolled his eyes.

"I think Ki-chan likes you too."

"What? Really?" Aomine's eyes lit up in excitement. The simple statement by her boosted his confidence and gave him hope. He felt his chest swell up with happiness with just the idea of Kise liking him back.

"Yes, my woman's intuition is strong." Momoi said, nodding her head.

"Would you stop it with the woman's intuition thing and give me an actual reason!" Aomine scowled, barring his teeth.

"Well, Ki-chan always has been attached to you, he admires you, looks up to you, among everybody around him I'm pretty sure he is the closest to you and if you don't believe my instincts you might as well just ask him. And you know, Dai-chan, I'm never wrong." The pink haired girl grinned wide.

The tanned teen looked away, he wondered if that really is the case, he would be ecstatic to find that the blond is indeed the closest to him.

"Oh and when you confess BE DIRECT." she said emphasizing the word, making sure her idiot childhood friend understands. "Ki-chan is usually smart and observant but he can be slow too and don't mess it up by saying something unnecessary or stupid." She chided.

"What the-I'm not gonna mess it up, Satsuki!" He growled, his face scrunching up in anger. "And also be specific about 'something unnecessary or stupid'."

"Just don't be a Ahomine." She said playfully, nudging his arm.

"Ugh whatever." the teen rolled his eyes again, not understanding the underlying meaning of those words.

* * *

Kise came home from a tired day, his work and school had left him exhausted. He had a new photo book coming so his manager is making him work a lot harder but Kise had decided that after this book was released he will take a break to concentrate on his studies, a lot has piled up and the blond has to play catch up. He liked his modelling job but he also knew he have to take a break. Studies and some rest is needed for him.

His sister, Ryouko, had the dinner set out on the table. His sister told him that Kasamatsu stopped by earlier today and brought home a dish made by his mother. Kise made sure to thank him the next day he meets him in school. He hadn't met the ex-captain lately, practice matches, work and school had kept him busy. Even though they go to the same school, he didn't have much chances to meet him.

After he showered, they ate, making small talk, Kise told her that Aomine recently lost to him in a one on one. She was awfully surprised by that. Her brother told her that Aomine was too distracted and therefore he couldn't concentrate. Something seemed to bother him and hoped that it will be fine later on. He also said that Aomine bought an ice cream for him, as the loser buys something for the winner was their routine and was happy that Aomine complied with him.

Kise had no idea just how much he talked about Aomine. Only his sister did. Kise told her that Aomine is really too good at basketball, he always harped about how much he admires the boy and never fails to mention that he's too cool, he mentioned that he would like to spend more time with him but he isn't able to because of work, he mentioned it's really fun to be with the tanned teen. He told her that the tanned teen almost always drops him and sees him off at the metro station, making him feel giddy inside.

His sister seemed to be alarmed of this but she never said anything by it. She was surprised to see her brother being fond of another guy to this extent, she figured that this is just how Kise is, he is usually bubbly and a people person. Since Kise was in middle school, he had been fond of Aomine so his sister didn't question his feelings and admiration for Aomine.

The blond usually shared his day to day happening with his older sister. He talked about Aomine, about school, about Basketball, about work, about everything. His older sister also shared her daily routine.

His sister seemed to understand the other blond and quickly became his friend as well. She even introduced her boyfriend to Kise. Kise was quite protective of her, so when he first met the guy, he was a tad bit cold to him. But later he found that he's a good guy and soon enough, Kise became comfortable with the man dating his sister.

* * *

Throughout the week, Aomine was preparing himself, he thought the best way is to be as natural as possible. Every time he imagines Kise in front of him, his heart starts pounding in the walls of his chest, his breathing becomes irregular, his hands clench themselves into fists, he feels shaky and nervous.

Momoi did say that Kise likes him back but he still couldn't help but feel anxious. What if the blond outright rejects him? He shook his head, trying to get rid of these thoughts. He reminds himself if the blond said no, he was going to be adamant and he wouldn't rest until Kise agrees to go out with him.

He decided he wouldn't think much anymore and just go with the flow, though he started feeling butterflies in his stomach.

* * *

Kise had no work on Saturday and texted Aomine to meet him at the same place.

Thankfully, the blond arrived on time. There were no delays due to the train, there was no work for him, the club activities ended early.

He waved at Aomine from a distance, _How does he always arrive before me, does he always leave early?_ , he wondered.

"Aominecchi..." The blond called out to him in his usual saccharine voice.

Aomine spotted the blond, he could see the sun rays bouncing off the mop of the blond hair, making him look like another sun, another star. He is just too bright.

Aomine's heart started pounding wildly inside his chest, the sound ringing in his ears. He felt his hands get sweaty. _You can do this, you can do this. It's just Kise. You'll play some ball and just tell him what's on mind, that's it, nothing more, nothing less,_ he reassured himself _._

The other sun soon came in front of him and grinned ear-to-ear, making him look brighter than before. The tanned teen almost shielded his eyes from the intensity of Kise's aura.

"Yo, you're on time again?!" He said nonchalantly while he was extremely aware of his unsteady heartbeats.

"Mou, Aominecchi, I can arrive on time it's just that other things always hold me back, I told you that last time too", the blond whined and pouted.

 _Too adorable_ , Aomine thought. He had an urge to pinch his cheeks and he almost did but he grabbed the ball as a replacement, squeezing it and flung the ball at the blond's way and the blond caught it. "You can have the ball first, just for today." Aomine smirked and Kise smirked back.

Surprisingly, Aomine managed to calm down. He ignored all of his thoughts during the game. He was amazed with himself at how much he controlled himself. His concentration was at its peak in the game, his mind felt clear. He had no idea whatsoever as to how his feelings took a 180 degree. He stole the ball, dribbled and made shots.

Kise played like he usually did. Kise was relieved that Aomine isn't distracted anymore and he played just like he usually did.

Nearing the end, Aomine won. And the blond was left panting, yet again.

Kise walked towards a bench near the court where his bag was placed, Aomine bounced the ball up and down making throws in the hoop, his heart which calmed down managed to race again.

 _Fuck._

He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them. His vision felt clear. Thankfully, his mind was clear as well but he could feel himself get restless. His palms were getting sweaty again. He let the ball bounce and let it come to a still position on the ground.

He gulped heavily, took some deep breaths trying to calm himself down. He looked at his hands, _Am I shaking?_

He knew now is the time to tell the blond, tell him he likes him, ask him to go out with him. He is anxious, extremely anxious.

He glanced at Kise, he was drinking the transparent liquid in little gulps. _'What's he thinking about?'_ Aomine wondered. His eyes stayed fixed on the blond.

* * *

 _Aominecchi is staring at me again_ , Kise noticed quickly while pressing his lips together as the liquid made its way inside his throat. The way he always stared at Kise, made the blond feel like he's a prey and his predator was eyeing him intensely. And it feels embarrassing and a tad bit _exciting_.

He took another sip as the latter thought sunk in his mind. _Why does it feel exciting_ , he didn't understand. But just the thought of those blue eyes watching his every move intently made the blond hold back his breath.

Kise glanced at him, his unwavering gaze made Kise's heart pound in his chest. Those eyes of his were burning a hole right through him. He slowly put the bottle away.

He decided to break the silence, "A-Aom-"

"Kise, I have something to tell you." He suddenly heard Aomine say, his tone sounded serious.

"E-eh? W-What is it?" The blond blinked in slight surprise, turning his head and his body gradually towards the tanned teen.

"I, um, I-" Aomine's voice was breaking. The blond tilted his head in confusion.

 _Shit, I don't know how to start, I decided to just go with the flow but what is the flow here? Shit!_ He thought, swallowing the lump in his throat. His heart is racing too fast, he wonders if it is going to burst out of his chest. He clenched his hands to fists, at his sides.

"Are you okay? Aominecchi." Kise sounded worried.

"Yeah, I just...have something... to tell...you." Aomine's breathing was irregular.

 _Be direct, just be direct._ He took a deep breath before exhaling calmly.

Kise stood in front of him, he noticed that Aomine's posture looks tense, he looks... _stiff_.

"I-I, _l-like you._ " Aomine mumbled looking away from the blond. His breath got caught in his throat. _Shit_. He realized he isn't being clear. He pressed his lips together and tried to calm his senses.

"E-eh?" The blond asked dumbly with a confused expression.

"I said, I like you, Kise." Aomine stated loudly and clearly this time, furrowing his brows and looking directly at the blond.

And Kise stopped breathing. He froze on the very spot he stood on.

Kise couldn't comprehend. He feels his eyebrows lift up slightly in surprise.

Aomine's heart now pounded, he held his breath and waited for the blond to say or react, he looked at amber eyes trying to see a slight of flicker of emotion.

"Ha ha, wh-what are you talking about, Aominecchi? I don't understand." Kise managed to laugh awkwardly and nervously while rubbing the back of his neck.

"You heard me, Kise! You heard what I said, if you want, I can repeat myself again." Aomine clenched his jaw, he tightened his hands into fists, digging his nails into the flesh of his palms. His heart was consistently beating loudly and rapidly in his chest at a consistent rate.

The blond goes quiet. Too quiet, he started staring at Aomine. He blinked once, he opened his mouth to speak but find no words coming out of it. He felt stuck.

The breeze swayed quietly in the air, making his blond sunlight hair the only thing making any movements. The air seems too quiet, silence surrounded the area, making them feel they are the only person there and nothing ever mattered.

"Aominecchi, I-" He tried to speak but stood there with no words coming out of him.

"I said I like you, Kise! I like you not just as a friend but something more than that, _something much more than that_. I like you like person likes a lover and because of that I want _you_ to go out with me, as a lover." The words flowed out of Aomine's mouth, he no longer wavered. He felt proud expressing his true feelings to the blond, he felt light. His heart still made funny palpitations.

Blue cerulean orbs narrowed at honey golden orbs with burning intensity.

 _Aominecchi likes me as a lover?,_ he repeated those aberrant words in his mind.

Kise's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't utter a single word. He felt powerless all of a sudden under Aomine's piercing gaze, under his powerful words. He wanted to press his hand over his mouth, wanted to slump down and breathe.

His body suddenly feels like it's shivering, like it's burning up, his knees feel weak. Kise tore off his eyes from the blue ones and bit his inner cheek. Aomine saw Kise looking away from him, _Don't tear your eyes off of me, look directly at me._ Aomine felt his heart beat drop.

For a while, they both stood like that with no one breaking the silence. It was maddening.

It is unnerving, Aomine's patience was wearing thin, he wanted to know what Kise is thinking.

Kise tried to register Aomine's words but he couldn't believe him. He couldn't just believe that-that Aomine likes...him.

"...Kise, say something." Aomine pleaded.

 _Aominecchi likes me? Aominecchi really likes me? Aomine Daiki? THE Aomine Daiki? The ace of Touou Academy? And he wants me to go out with him? I'm a guy, he wants to go out with a guy? I don't believe that, hasn't he always liked girls? Isn't he always going on and on about boobs?,_ the blond couldn't help but question and doubt his feelings.

Kise decided to be upfront. "I don't believe you, Aominecchi." his voice low and his eyes fixed on the surface of the ground.

"What?", Aomine was a bit taken aback. He hadn't expected the blond to doubt his feelings. He only ever thought of the possibility of a 'yes' or a 'no'.

"I don't believe you." Kise said clearly.

"And why not?" Aomine asked, his eyebrows furrowing, voice firm.

"..."

"Kise?" Aomine breathes, calling out his name, his voice demanding to reply, to look at him.

"..."

"Kise, I want you to look at me and answer me." He asked in a firm and loud voice, he felt irritated.

Kise slowly looked up to meet his blue eyes, their eyes lock again. _Aominecchi's eyes look different_. His heart was thrashing wildly in his chest. He slowly took a deep breath.

"Well, Be-because, w-well, don't you like girls?" Kise felt himself trembling. _Is my voice cracking?_

"Ha?" Aomine now tilted his head confusion.

"You like boobs, right?" The blond asked, feeling too aware of himself, feeling hesitant.

"I do but what does it matter?" He blinked at him, trying to understand his point.

Kise felt his heart clench and winced slightly. It's hard to breathe.

"I don't have boobs and neither am I a girl then how come you like me?" His voice came out wobbly.

"I know that, I know that very well, Kise." Aomine stayed firm.

"Aominecchi, I'm a guy, you like a guy? Doesn't that make you gay?" He doesn't know whether his words sound offensive but right now he can't care, he just needed an honest answer.

"I don't care what it makes me, I don't care if it makes me gay, homosexual or anything for that matter. I only know that I like you, Kise." Aomine answered earnestly, gritting his teeth.

"And I WANT you." Aomine added, in a voice that is desperate, clear, compelling and most of all- _passionate._

Now, Kise did keep a hand over his mouth, his breathing was shallow and his heart was pounding faster than it ever did. His lips started to tremble against his palm. His other hand rested on his waist, gripping the flesh through his clothes.

He closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Do you find this disgusting, Kise?" Aomine questioned, voice low and harsh and his gaze locked onto him.

"W-what? No, no I don't, it's just kind of hard to believe." Kise voiced his thoughts.

He chewed on his lips nervously, not meeting Aomine's eyes again.

"Aominecchi, I-"

Aomine knotted his brows. "Before I met you, I never would have imagined that I would develop such feelings for someone, I never imagined I could come to like someone so much. So much that I find myself craving for them, so much that just a mere thought of them, a mere look at them would get my heart pounding in my chest. So believe me, you idiot. I wouldn't just say this to any other person, be it a girl or a boy. It's just YOU, Kise."

And then Kise _shivered_. He felt his entire body tremble. His face felt hot. His hand on his mouth started to quiver, his breathing is still shallow, his eyes were half-lidded.

Aomine's words start to sink into him and he starts to feel something akin to... exhilaration. He couldn't figure out.

He still hadn't looked up to meet his eyes, he's too nervous.

Kise slowly removed his hand from his mouth just to press the back of his hand-his knuckles to his lips.

He opened his mouth to speak but then he sees Aomine approaching him and he gets stuck again, Kise blinked while Aomine took several steps until he stood right in front of him. He stood too close to Kise.

Kise's eyes widened, his pupils became dilated, his body became stiff, he stopped breathing and his pulse quickened.

He met Aomine's deep blue ocean eyes and Kise saw... _Fire_. Kise blinked once again and the time seemed to slow down.

Aomine grabbed his wrist, pulling him forwards, he puts his other hand on his neck tugging him closer, he furrows his eyebrows, his expression as intense as it gets. "If THIS is what it takes for you to believe me then so be it." His eyes filled with determination and looking directly at amber ones, hot breath against Kise's, their faces inches apart.

And before Kise can comprehend anything Aomine leaned forward, closing the distance between them swiftly, closing his eyes shut and Kise felt something _soft_ on his lips.

Kise's eyes widened at the strange and new sensation. It takes half a second for Kise to realize that that something soft is _Aominecchi's lips_.

 _Aominecchi is kissing me?_ His muddled mind manages to form a conclusion. His other hand went to unconsciously clutch tightly at the hem of Aomine's shirt.

 _And_ Kise _felt_ a jolt of electricity, a jolt of lightning, a spark of fire spreading like a wildfire throughout his body. His wrist held by Aomine feels hot, like it's burning, his neck feels hot, his lips feel like they are on fire, everything feels hot, everything feels warm. The warmth was coursing throughout his entire body.

His eyelids gently flutter close, rather subliminally, he can't comprehend his own feelings. It pleasant, Aomine's lips feel full and tender and warm, all Kise knew in this moment is that he LIKES this sensation.

His body burnt with fervour, he couldn't yet comprehend. Why _does this feel so hot? Why am I burning? His touch feels too hot. The feel of his lips against my own, feels right, feels perfect, feels good._

Is he breathing or is he not? He can't tell, he can't think straight, his brain was going haywire.

His felt dizzy, he feels delirious. His cheeks were on fire, a beautiful shade of red appeared on his cheeks making their way up to his ears, the red stood out on his fair skin.

Aomine gradually pulls away, putting some distance between them. It took ALL of his willpower to break the kiss, ALL of his willpower to let go of Kise, of his arm, his lips, and his neck. Kissing him is better than he ever imagined. His lips are softer, warmer and it felt electrifying. And Aomine knew in that moment that he is not wrong to fall in love with Kise. It's feels _so_ right.

Aomine's lips, palms and body feels smouldering hot, like he had just touched the sun but doesn't want the burning sensation to come to a stop.

The mere touch of his lips against his own was enough to intoxicate him. He could get addicted to this-to Kissing Kise. And he hadn't even used his tongue. _Dammit!_ He frowned inwardly.

He took a quick look at Kise's face, he blinked in surprise, _Wait, is he blushing?_ _Up to his ears?_ His eyebrows rose in surprise. _He's so cute_. And Aomine felt himself blush, a hue of pink appeared on his tanned skin, not quite visible. _And if he is blushing, does it mean he likes me back? H_ e wondered.

Kise opened his eyes slowly and was met with the cerulean blue ones.

"Well?" Aomine asked him, lightly knitting his brows, his shoulders tense.

Kise was in a daze. His body still feels like it's burning up. He long let go of his hand clutching Aomine's shirt. He stared off in space not quite returning to reality.

"Do you think that I would kiss a guy as a joke?" Aomine groaned, wrinkling his face. Kise blinked furiously, his voice broke Kise out of his daze and he muttered, "N-no, you wouldn't."

"I-I do believe you, Aominecchi." Kise flailed.

Aomine stared fixedly at him, his blue orbs searching for an answer in those lovely amber ones. But he was greeted with silence in return.

Kise knew Aomine is expecting a proper response.

"It-it's just..." The blond stuttered, the kiss they shared had clouded his thoughts even further.

"It's just what?" Aomine asked frowning and scrunching up his nose.

"Umm, I-I don't know...uh, time, give me some time to think properly, to think about this." Kise looked at him, pleadingly.

"What? Time? Kise, you either like me or you don't, which is it?" Aomine asked, feeling vexed.

But there are still things going on Kise's mind, questions running in his brain, his mind's a mess and he needed to get a grip on them-on his thoughts.

"Aominecchi, please." The blond said weakly, looking away.

Aomine gritted his teeth, for a moment he stood there, contemplating the blond. He ran his hand across his navy blue hair. He sighed in defeat and let out a determined sigh.

"Ugh, Fine." He finally muttered.

"Eh?" Kise blinked and looked at him. Aomine's gaze softened and his face showed a tender expression.

"Tomorrow is Sunday, right? So you can meet me tomorrow" Aomine said, feeling himself relax and his lips curling into a slightest hint of a smile.

"Wh-" The blond started speaking but gets interrupted.

"You have until tomorrow to pull yourself together." Aomine's voice is firm and definite.

"I-"

"Heh, and I should let you know, I WON'T be taking a 'no' for an answer." The tanned teen knitted his eyebrows and his lips curled into a smirk, a smirk that exudes confidence and determination, a smirk well known by the blond.

The blond's eyes were blown wide and he gaped at him, dumbly.

"I'll let you go alone today." Aomine gave him another smug-ass grin.

"You have until tomorrow to make up your mind, until I grab you, kiss you again because something tells me you won't be able to refuse." He winked at him mischievously, his blue eyes twinkling, the smirk never fading away from his face and arched his blue eyebrow rather cockily.

Kise froze again, for the umpteenth time, his mouth hanging open.

Aomine shoved his hands in his pockets and left, walking in long strides, leaving a troubled and a very shocked blond behind.

A blush again crept up on the blond's cheeks, spreading on his face all over and he's pretty sure he's red as a Tomato.

* * *

 _Ah, he really is so freaking cool_ , Kise breathes out, sighing heavily in a haze, he feels his heartbeat flutter _wildly_.


	13. Kise's Resolve

Kise Ryouta's love life is... _not that great_. Yes, he's had girlfriends before, had been in relationships before but they were shallow and void of any deep emotional attachment and most of the girls he dated were only ever interested in him because of his appearance and his status as a model. Needless to say, they were all girls with typical cute face and short stature and they mostly failed to provide him with genuine affection. So eventually, he gave up on such relationships and focused on school and sports and his work. But never in million years or in his wildest dreams did he ever think of being confessed by a guy, by his friend, his former teammate turned rival- _Aomine Daiki._

His life turned upside down when the basketball ace, dropped a bomb on him, telling him that he holds romantic feelings for him and wants to eventually go out with him. Kise's mind was an incoherent mess upon hearing those words leaving from a pair of lips which usually grumbled out pompous and arrogant words. To say Kise was shocked would be an understatement. But in due course, the blond did come to terms with it and believed the bluenette's words by getting kissed suddenly. Because no way in hell, would Aomine Daiki, who harbours an immense love for breasts and gravure models, kiss another person of the same sex, for no reason whatsoever or either cruelly as a joke.

* * *

After the tanned teen left, his broad back disappearing with every step he took, Kise found himself sitting on a bench, in a state of haze, trying to comprehend- _what just happened?._ He sat, pondering over the events of the evening.

The model exhaled and manages to haul himself up, gathering his bag and headed home.

From thereon, Kise went on to an auto-pilot mode. He found his feet magically dragging himself to the metro station, boarding onto the train and arriving at his destination all the while thinking of a certain tanned person. His heart still made that weird thudding sound in his chest, the kiss lingered on his lips and Aomine's words and feelings lay heavy on the blond's mind and his body.

He swiftly reached his home, had dinner quickly with his sister, rather quietly while seemingly too lost in his thoughts. His sister did ask him out of worry, if there is something wrong?, but the blond didn't answer anything remarkable in return, saying nothing's the matter, evading the question, muttering vague replies and remained silent.

He had a quick shower and hurriedly went to his room, slammed the door shut behind him and flopped on his bed, the bed creaking with the thud noise.

He exhaled sharply and finally relaxed his tense body. He lay down on his stomach, wrapping his arms around the soft pillow he laid his head on and squeezed it. His heart hadn't calmed down since the evening with Aomine, since he felt the warm touch of his lips, since he was confessed to, rendering him speechless and weak as his body trembled with fervour.

Kise let out a sigh, curling himself into the bed. The happenings of the evening replayed in his brain over and over again. Aomine's voice resonated inside his head. He could somehow feel all of the emotions Aomine held for him through his expressions, through his kiss, through his body, through his voice. He probably has never heard the tanned teen's voice in such a low and soft and harsh tone.

Kise grumbled, closing his eyes in order to think about something else. But he repeatedly failed.

 _'I Like You, Kise, Go out with me.'_ The words reverberated in his mind. Kise bit his lower lip feeling his heart hammer faster at those words. _Calm down, calm down,_ he tried to regain control over his nerves. He ran his hand across his blond hair, grabbing a few locks, forcing himself to calm down. He closed his eyes but the image of Aomine popped up, those midnight blue eyes filled with gentleness and honesty and fiery with determination.

 _Ugh_ , Kise groaned in his bed.

 _I Like You, Kise._ The words echoed again. Kise took a deep breath, he knew very well Aomine isn't a frivolous person. Aomine is someone who wouldn't joke about such things, someone who is rather carefree but not irreverent, someone who isn't shallow, someone who wouldn't mock people using such emotions and words. Aomine was serious, he really _is_ serious. And Kise wondered just how much did Aomine stressed over to tell him his feelings. The tanned teen isn't the most honest person and for him to express his feelings was a wonder to the blond.

Kise turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling above him, the fan whirling around in circles, providing him with cool drifts of air but failing to calm his heart and body which was all too warm from the evening, from the tanned teen's expressions and feelings which rocked his world in a matter of moments.

He bit his lower lip nervously, wondering since when has his bluenette friend started to develop feelings for him? Since when? Since Teiko? No, that can't be it. Kise scratched that possibility, they were too young, they were too stupid to notice such emotions developing and brooding in them. Since they started hanging out together again? Golden eyebrows slightly rose and his heart raced in the constraints of his chest, when he realized that this must be the possibility. He was pensive for a moment. They only communicated and spend time with each other during this period of time. So in this short span of time, did Aomine manage to develop feelings for him?

He tossed around in his bed and groaned again, if he has started to like him after they hung out together again then did he ever try to convey them with his actions, at least? Did his actions ever indicate something that would express his feelings indirectly? The blond questioned himself.

The model closed his eyes and the time spent with Aomine came flooding back to him, the scenes played like a recap of an episode. Has Aomine ever acted differently around him? Has he ever? Different than when he is with others? Something he wouldn't do in his usual norm? Kise was puzzled over it, pondering for a moment. Until he finally realized something like a strike of lightning bolt, he suddenly snapped open his eyes and he gasped, blinking several times. He was reminded of the times when Aomine stared at him, of all the times Kise felt his intense gaze on him, of all the times Kise caught him sneaking glances at him.

He jolted upright in his bed, _has Aominecchi liked me since all this time?_ the blond couldn't help but think. Kise put his hand on his face and his eyes darted across the room in confusion.

What were Aomine's feelings and thoughts while he just stared at him? Had midnight blue eyes been following him because of the way he felt? Kise gritted his teeth, a pretty pink blush appeared on his face, much to his resistance.

He was then reminded of the time Aomine had complimented him. Did that mean something? Of course it did, Aomine wouldn't just compliment anybody and even though it was an unintentional one, Kise could feel the honesty and the raw sentiment that Aomine said it with. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them harshly. He was all too aware of his heart now palpitating too fast, all too aware of his own body feeling another wave of warmth wash over him.

The Aomine now is different from the Teiko one, the present Aomine wouldn't just meet him on weekends just to have a bunch of one on ones which the bluenette was pretty sure he was going to win at. He takes time out his day to meet him. Kise was sure he wouldn't just meet anybody being the lazy person he is.

Has Aomine accompanied him all the way to the metro, from a direction very much opposite from his house, all this time because he liked him? Because he wanted to spend more time with him? Kise knitted his eyebrows. His breathing soon became shallow and he could feel his entire face heating up.

Has Aomine always arrived earlier every time because he wanted to see the him a-as soon as possible? Is that it?, the model clutched his shirt tightly, his heart thumped wildly. _Aominecchi has been crushing on me since all this time?_ A shade of crimson red covered his cheeks beautifully. He buried his face in his palms and his body grew all too hot.

He would have, should have known that the bluenette held feelings for him if he had been observant, at least he should have held a suspicion. He suddenly felt daft at his own inattentiveness. Kise is an observant person, he observes people around him on a regular basis, not as much as Kuroko but he still observes his surroundings, he was the first one to find out that Momoi held feelings for Kuroko, then how could he be so thick-headed when it comes to Aomine's feelings?

 _Dammit!_ the blond whined. _This all must mean that he actually likes me!_ Kise put his palm on his face while his breaths came out in short puffs. He closed his eyelids and took several deep breaths calming himself, finally opening them, feeling the surge of emotions clearing up.

He started to contemplate about his own feelings towards the tanned teen. Aomine is attractive, Kise couldn't deny that. He was well aware of how much he can get lost in the thoughts of the bluenette. Aomine is rude and arrogant and pompous but that's a part of his persona and the blond was more than fine with it. And there is something entrancing about him, like a magnet, captivating, attracting and pulling Kise towards him more and more with every breath he takes.

 _But in the end, Aominecchi is, Aominecchi is...Aominecchi. He can't be merely described with just a set of words._ The blond heaved a sigh hazily.

Kise worried his lower lip again and his thoughts drift to the kiss they shared. (He'd be lying if he denied having never thought of kissing Aomine, it was a fleeting thought but he still did think about it) He still remembers how the kiss felt, remembers like he was kissed just seconds ago. He gingerly traced his lips with his fingertips, he could still feel the sensation of a warm set of lips over his. The sweet taste of his lips were softer than a feather yet sending sparks of electricity throughout his body, the touch of his flesh struck him like a current.

He closed his eyes and realized that it was his _first_ kiss. He had his very first kiss with Aomine, his former teammate, his friend (for now) Heat pooled all over his face. He pressed his lips together and closed his eyes, the press of his lips, the fire coursing throughout his body.

He touched his wrist and neck which was held by Aomine hours ago, his fingers hovering over the crook of his neck, it still felt all so _so_ hot. The warmth of Aomine and his touch still lingers on his milky skin, everything feels so fresh on his skin.

A shaky breath escaped the blond's lips.

If he disliked the kiss he could have pulled away or shoved him off. He could have told him to stop but he didn't. He didn't show any resistance, instead he let his eyes close and let himself feel something for a moment. He let himself get kissed, he let the warmth spread throughout him, leaving him weak in his knees.

The feel of Aomine's lips was perfect and right, his touch made Kise feel so many foreign feelings. He knew he wouldn't even let a random person kiss him, getting kissed by a strange person would probably disgust him. When he was confessed; he could feel his heart ricocheting in his body, his body quivering, his mind going haywire, he remembered the moment where a slight euphoria rose up within him.

Kise heaved another sigh, he always craved the bluenette's company, he could never stop completely admiring him, he has always found the Aomine extremely cool, enchanting and _so_ amazing. His mere presence seemed to simply create questionable feelings within him.

M-maybe, he does like Aomine _,_ the blond mulled over, groaning in his bed. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips together. All these feelings for him, all the fondness he held for is friend is definitely uncommon and just like Aomine said, _'it's something more than that.'_

Kise's lips slightly parted, _Maybe there is no maybe about it... h_ e muttered under his breath. His stomach began doing backflips, feeling a powerful whirlpool of emotions floating within him. His heart pummelled too much, he begaN breathing from his mouth, his body inflamed with strange emotions and his eyelids half-lidded in wonderment. He swore his body didn't want to listen to him, no matter what he did, he just couldn't calm himself.

Aomine's words resonated again, his feelings echoed again. The blond felt his heart accelerate in his chest. A hue of crimson red adorned on his face beautifully. He put his palm on his face, trying to ignore the blush. But he just couldn't. Kise flopped on his bed, tossing and turning on it.

 _I LIKE YOU, KISE. GO OUT WITH ME._

 _I like you too, Aominecchi.'_ he chirped in his brain quickly rather mindlessly, the sentence was enough to leave him an embarrassed and blushing mess.

Kise closed his eyes and there was a small upward tug at the corner of his lips. _I Like You, Kise_. The model inhaled sharply and pressed his lips together to stop the smile which now threatened to spread on his face. He smacked his cheeks lightly with his palms, trying to calm his damn nerves. But he failed.

 _I Like You, Kise._ The blond perceived Aomine's words in a different light altogether. Before he couldn't entirely wrap his head around it and became utterly confused but now...now he could feel his chest swelling up with something similar to being happy.

The blond let the words sink in his very soul, he felt too shy and self-conscious, and his heart now threatened to explode in his chest.

But a huge grin spread over his face in an instant, against his wishes. _No! Don't smile. Don't blush,_ You idiot! _Stop, STOOOOOP!_ He screeched in his mind. He grabbed the pillow, tightening his hold onto it, squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to gain control over himself.

He was losing this inner battle. He whined in his bed, shifting to his right side. He put his palm over his mouth, pressing up against his lips, trying to stop the smile.

 _I wouldn't just say this to any other person, be it a girl or a boy. It's just YOU, Kise._

 _And_ Kise lost in the end. He couldn't deny it anymore. His heart skipped a beat while thudding too loudly. A huge, million yen smile made its way on his face. He felt his chest swell up with exuberance. He found himself embracing his feelings towards the tanned teen. Liking someone earnestly and being liked by someone is new to him and to top it all off, the person is Aomine? Aominecchi? The guy who he always admired? He felt happy to be like by Aomine, even lucky to receive such powerful emotions from his middle school friend. He palmed his mouth and nose exhaling and inhaling sharply. He felt hysterical with happiness that seemed to absorb him.

He felt happy. Oh, he felt _so_ happy. He grinned wide with the area crinkling around his eyes, a smile wide enough to brighten up any grim room. He felt the blush spread to the tip of his ears, the area heating up. He buried his face in his palms, the blush spreading to the back of his hands. His heartbeat was still very much unsteady, the damn smile wasn't fading away and his damn body was heating up further.

He heaved a sigh in contentment.

For a while, his thoughts revolved around his friend. He thought of that kiss again, it was pleasant, like the early morning sunshine, like the waves of the midnight ocean calming him and yet it aroused a burning sensation within him like a hot blazing sun. He let his mind wander around the kiss. Everything happened so fast, he couldn't think properly in that atypical evening.

His eyes snapped open and jolted upright on his bed again, having an epiphany, he had his first kiss outside. Outside, in a park, in public! His golden eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Why hadn't he thought of this first? How could he even not think about this? Ugh, his mind is too occupied. Public displays of affection were frowned in Japan and moreover two boys never acted such a way, not in public. He hoped no one had seen them, if he were to be caught, the news could spread like wildfire and the paparazzi and tabloids would have him by his neck, probably creating a scandal. He made a mental note of not letting Aomine kiss him again, at least not outside, he thought absent-mindedly.

 _W-wait, I'll be kissing Aominecchi again?_ Kise murmured under his breath.

Oh, _oh_. Of course he will, the new realization dawned at him, striking him like a electric current. His pulse quickened and his heart throbbed faster at the notion of _kissing him_ again. He will feel that warmth again, he will have his breath stolen away for another time, will be rendered unthinkable again, his body will set ablaze again. He suddenly thought we would eventually, h-have s-sex, that's what couples do right? A couple, we'll be a couple now?, the blonde blushed a deeper shade of red and buried his head in the pillow, he felt his body temperature rise up along with his heartbeats, he curled his toes with his eyes half lidded. The thought of sex hadn't even occurred to him. He twisted in his bed, we will kiss, we will do something more and it will feel new and perhaps... ' _Excitin-wait, no, no, don't think about that now. That's a story for another day'_ He flailed and mused, changing his line of thought, fidgeting with his hands.

Kise let out a wobbly breath, knowing his thoughts were all over the place. He couldn't concentrate on just one thing. His thoughts jumped from one scenario to another, from one realization to another, from one epiphany to another. It was chaos and a mess in his mind.

He just couldn't stay calm, how is he supposed to anyway? He was just recently confessed to, realized he holds feelings for his bluenette friend, had never been in a deep relationship, never had kissed before, never had sex and recognized his newfound sexuality, he was thinking about many things all at once.

And tomorrow he has to face Aomine and express his feelings as well? The model's heart beat rose yet again. How is he exactly supposed to tell him? With what expression? What should he say? His mind reeled at such thoughts.

The blond model didn't get a wink of sleep for his night was filled with tossing, turning and twisting in bed, in frustration and excitement. He was groaning, sighing, grumbling in the whirlwind of his new found emotions and feelings. He was overwhelmed by them, getting engulfed by them heavily and gradually, the severity of the situation slowly seeping into his bones.

He was sure to get dark circles tomorrow morning.

* * *

Nearly around 6am, giving up on sleep, the blond got up and decided to go to a jog. Kise is a morning person and when he gets some time to himself, even in the mornings, he jogs. It helps him calm his mind and let himself loose.

He plugged earphones in his ears, playing his usual playlist and exits the house. The sun isn't entirely up yet but he could see everything getting brighter, the air feels cool and calming in the early morning. There aren't people on the streets, it's a Sunday morning.

He warms up his body, stretches it and starts running at a slow pace. His groggy mind starts feeling lighter, the air feels pleasant against his skin. The music plays peacefully and his mind drifts apart, he doesn't think much of the tanned teen and Kise relaxes under the music and the cool air. He picks up his pace gradually and runs for about a handful of kilometres and makes a lap for it. He stops for a while, letting his legs rest while he pants heavily. He takes a deep breath of the fresh morning breeze and the corner of his lips tugs upwards gracing a smile to face. Yes, he feels calm. A jog in the morning, the fresh gust of air and music always helps him relax. His body feels tired due to the lack of sleep but he feels content.

The sun had finally begun to rise and he can see the light gracing the sky, painting the scenery lay ahead of him with a beautiful hue of light orange making the remnants of the dark sky fade away.

This unexpectedly reminds Kise of Aomine. Aomine feels like a bright shining star in the darkness of the midnight sky yet at the same time, feels like a ray of sunshine, illuminating a spark of fire in the blond's life.

Kise heaved a sigh when the bluenette pops up in his mind again. He stared off in to the space and feels his heart flutter with a bunch of butterflies dancing around in his stomach. By now, He's pretty sure about his feelings towards the other boy.

He later resumed breathing normally and decided to make a run back towards his house. After reaching home, he showers and cooks some breakfast and enjoys it with his older's sister.

Ryouko notices that Kise has returned to his normal self and by now, he's chirpy as usual. She asked him again. "What happened yesterday?" Kise looks at her while getting up and opening the refrigerator, taking out the carton of Orange juice. "Nothing happened." He lied.

He hears his sister sigh. "Ryouta, I'm just worried about you and by now I feel like you should feel free to share things with me."

"It's not what you think, Sis. Seriously, you don't have to worry about me, everything is fine." Kise flashes a model smile towards her, pouring the orange liquid into a glass.

She frowned, she wasn't convinced. "Did something happen in school?"

"No." came Kise's monotonous reply.

"Work?"

"No."

"Club activities?"

"No, nothing happened. Stop worrying, nee-san!" Kise sighed and began drinking the fresh juice.

"...With-" His sister tore her eyes off of him. "..Aomine-kun?" Only to bring her gaze back at the blond in front of her. It was just a blank short in the dark.

Kise choked on the liquid and coughs loudly, thumping his chest lightly with his palms. "W-what are you talking about? He's got nothing to do with this" The blond answered a bit taken aback. He did _not_ expect this.

He heard his sister hum. "He's got nothing to do with this? Are you indirectly admitting that something indeed is up?" She raised her eyebrows at him, her arms crossing on her chest.

"What? No, I'm not!" Kise retorts.

His sister stayed silent for a while.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Look, Ryouta, I don't know what's been happening in your personal life and you may not realize this but you're different when it comes to him."

He glanced at her, gulping thickly with slightly widened eyes. "W-what do you mean different?" He asked her cautiously, feeling a little panicked. The idea of his sister suspecting something didn't sit well with him.

"Different as in, happy maybe?" She tapped her finger on her chin while resting the thumb under her jaw, seeming to be in deep thought.

Liquid golden eyes gape at her.

"Oh, yes! You do!" She bumps her fist on her other palm. "You look happy whenever you talk about him." She chirped.

"Whenever you talk about him and believe me when I say that you talk about him _a lot,_ you always smile and look happy with a glint in your eyes. Like you just can't wait to be with him again." she added keeping her eyes fixated on her brother. She doesn't fully realize the underlying meaning of her own words, she just gave him an opinion from her observations.

Kise's heartbeats started thudding wildly in his chest, he looked at her incredulously and gulped again. "Sis, I don't think it's anything like that. You-you must be over thinking." He stuttered, clenching his jaw.

His sister sighed, not getting anywhere with the blonde she got up, picking up the plates from the table and placing them in the sink. Kise could hear the soft clinks of the dishes in the kitchen, the running water from the tap, the scrubbing of the plates.

His heart was in turmoil. _That was a bit scary_. He let out a shaky breath.

Is he really different when it comes to Aomine and appears to be happy? Does he really seem different? He pursed his lips together and placed his palm over his face. _F-fuck,_ _Tha-that might be true._ He couldn't help but accept this little fact, he slumped his shoulder feeling a contradictory mixed sense of joy and dread.

Later, Kise heads out to work. He had a small appointment with the agency he's involved with.

After he's done he taps and unlocks the screen of his phone, opening his message app and reached Aomine's name. He stared a while at the name saved with his finger hovering above it. He shook his head to remove unnecessary thoughts and texts him to meet in the evening as usual. He blinked when he quickly received a reply,

 _1.45pm_

 _From: Aominecchi_

 _I can't wait._

Golden eyes widened in surprise and gaped dumbly at the simple message, his mouth open and he feels his heart dance furiously. _Shit!_ _He can't wait? What the hell?_ , the blond thought placing a palm over his mouth.

(Tbc)


	14. I like you too

Kise stepped out of the train, reaching the Tokyo station. The announcements were going off in the background with people running around, the crowd chattering and the air around him feeling tight. He feels his nerves getting out of control. His pale hands were getting clammy and he moved forward every time with a heavy step. He inhaled deeply, leaving the metro and exhaled slowly, walking towards the decided place to meet while trying to calm himself. His heart was racing slightly in his chest and he reminded himself to keep his cool.

Within 15 minutes, he could see the park coming in view with every step he took. He gulped hard.

His heart made sure to skip a beat when he spotted the mop of cobalt hair. He quickly slowed down his pace and walked towards the other boy in slow steps, taking his time but he felt his heart pound at a faster rate.

Kise thought he was prepared for this, last night he fretted over the entire situation, dwelled over and over on how to actually act in front of Aomine but now his thoughts were yet again an incoherent mess.

Aomine was sitting on the bench, holding a basketball within his hands and patiently waited for Kise's arrival. _That idiot is late again._ He burrowed his brows, his gaze fixated on the ground beneath him.

Before Kise knew it, he had already reached up to Aomine. "A-Aominecchi..." His voice soft and low.

Blue midnight eyes looked up to meet Liquid golden ones. "So the model has finally decided to grace me with his presence." Aomine gave an airy chuckle, his lips parted showing a toothy grin. Kise made no retort in return, instead his eyes stayed fixated on the tanned teen's blue eyes. But he felt his own lips tugging upwards to an awkward smile. Blue eyebrows lifted high. _Is he nervous?_ Truthfully he wasn't surprised to see the blond all nervous.

"So, what you want to do?" Aomine asked getting up from the bench and looking straight in amber eyes. Kise gulped thickly, he felt blue eyes looking right through him. He parted his lips to speak up-"How about we play some ball?" came the words in Aomine's gruff voice.

Kise hadn't spoken a word and the tanned teen thought he had to ease the atmosphere around them and what method is the best one other than playing Basketball to achieve that?

Kise replied with a simple "Un."

* * *

Aomine began to bounce and dribble the ball between his legs. The blond's eyes stayed fixed on the pair of blue eyes and he could perceive the ball dribble in his peripheral vision. He successfully blocked his opponent's movements; the tanned teen wasn't able to break past him.

Kise would be lying if he claimed that he was fully concentrating in the game, he wanted to tear his eyes off of the cerulean blue ones, he was feeling too self conscious and shy, his heart thumped loudly in his chest. Even though he managed to block the tanned teen, his movements were languid and he wasn't as sharp.

Aomine took a step backward and Kise blinked in slight surprise. "Too slow, Kise!" He smirked and broke past the blond, running across the court. Kise was dumbfounded, he turned around and ran his way to catch up to Aomine, but was too late when Aomine shot the ball in with a soft swish sound. _Dammit!_ Kise grumbled inwardly.

The ball was with Kise after a while; he bounced it up and down between his fingers and the surface of the ground, gazing intently at Aomine's face. His eyebrows knitting in concentration, blue eyes as deep as the expanse of the ocean. The sweat beads forming on Aomine's rich sun-kissed skin, slowly making a wet trail from his face to his neck down and disappearing in his clothes. He felt his heart trash inside his chest. The blond lightly shook his head to bring himself out of his daze but the moment he did, his opponent's lips turned into another mocking smirk and snatched the ball away from him. "Kise, you keep this up and you'll _lose_ yet again, TO ME!" The tanned teen mocked the blond, trying to rile him up.

Kise gritted his teeth, like hell he'll let Aomine win, like hell he'll lose. He pushed all the unnecessary thoughts in the back of his head and furrowed his brows together.

He managed to put all of his concentration in the game he played in.

He later copied Aomine's form and his style to make a shot in the hoop. "You copycat! That's the only shot you're going to make today!" The younger teen became irritated. Kise smirked, accepting the silent challenge.

They were all the way across the court, the blond quickly stole the orange ball from Aomine's grasp and took a step backward. "Oi, what are you doing? You might have stolen the ball but I won't let you past me." Aomine narrowed his eyes at him, frowning.

Kise chuckled. "You know, Aominecchi~" He batted his thick golden eyelashes at his opponent, pink lips tugging upwards into a mocking smirk. "I _don't_ need to break free from you to make a score," and arched one of his yellow eyebrow teasingly at his opponent.

He gripped the ball with the left palm, grabbing the back of it with his right, he jumped up slightly in the air and quickly thrust the ball upwards with his left hand while pushing the ball forwards with his right, the ball moving and going forward, high up in the air, making its way across the court and he watched it go in successfully through the hoop with a soft swish. A three pointer!

Aomine's eyes followed the ball going in and turned his head slowly towards Kise, feeling too irritated, gritting his teeth. _That bastard copied Midorima!_

Kise gave him a smug grin and the tanned blue scowled in return. He really wanted to wipe that smug expression off his face. "What was that? Aominecchi? I thought you wouldn't let me make a shot." Kise cooed, taunting and chuckling at him.

And _that_ was the last straw. Up until now the score was tied. And now Aomine was determined to kick his ass!

Later, they both caught and stole the ball, making countless scores and shoots, Aomine quickly gained an upper hand in the game and Kise was falling behind. With every game Kise lost, he demanded, "One more time! One more time, Aominecchi!" His eyes and eyebrows knitting into a puppy dog look.

 _Ugh_. Aomine groaned, scrunched up his nose with a roll of his eyes.

They played couple of times after that, Kise demanded again but Aomine denied. "No way! This is enough, I'm tired." Kise slumped down on the ground, planting his palms against the surface, panting hard, inhaling the needed oxygen into his lungs and glanced up at him. "Please? Aominecchi, just one more time!" He pleaded with another one of his puppy eye dog look.

"Hell no! And stop that face, you idiot! Anyways..." The ace's lips curled into a smirk "I'm tired of winning." And he let out a fake yawn. The blond glared up at him, his amber eyes narrowed. _He's cute when he glares at me._ Aomine mused before letting out a rich chuckle.

But Kise could only sigh in return.

The model looked up to see a certain tanned hand being offered to him, signalling his help to stand up.

Kise swiftly grabbed Aomine's hand, _his hands are warm_. He felt a squeeze from the warm palm, a sudden wave of electricity jolted through his spine and his heart fluttered in his chest. He quickly withdrew his hand and looked away from the tanned teen.

Blue thin eyebrows lifted up. He intentionally offered and squeezed the blond's hand, he just wanted to hold them even for a mere second, just wanted to touch and feel his skin, his warmth.

"Aominecchi, I'm-I'm going to get a Pocari from the wending machine. Do you want something?" Kise asked him timidly, changing the atmosphere between them, hoping for things not to turn awkward. "Hm? Get me a Pocari as well then."

Kise nodded, left and came back with their drinks. He handed the can to Aomine carefully, not letting his fingers brush against his. They both twisted the ring and opened the lid, sipping the liquid. "Ah man, this hits the spot!" The ace exclaimed amusingly, his gaze coming to rest on the blond.

Kise, on the other hand was growing nervous, the condensation of the can and the dampness of his palm mixed together. His heart made a low thudding noise. Silence surrounded them and he didn't know how to break the ice.

They emptied the can and threw it in the trash.

The model glanced up at Aomine and saw dark blue eyes fixed on him.

He inhaled sharply, the intense stare of him made him want to speak. "Aominecchi, you-you know, you keep staring at me." The blond pursed his lips together not meeting his eyes.

Aomine blinked slowly. "Hm? Yeah, I know. I just _can't_ keep my eyes off of you." He said making a blunt statement.

Kise's eyes widened lightly and a pink blush crept up on his cheeks. _He can't keep his eyes off of me? That's so embarrassing! Shouldn't he be embarrassed saying that?!_ The blond's heart began pounding in his chest at a faster rate. Kise couldn't look up to meet his eyes, he instead closed his eyes shut and the blush soon turned into a shade of dark red.

"Did-did you hear me Kise?" Aomine gulped audibly. "I really _really_ don't want to take my eyes off of you." He repeated, letting his words sink into the boy he liked. His own heart began pummelling wildly in his rib cage. Aomine never did want to stop looking at the blond.

Kise Ryouta _is_ the sunshine illuminating the tanned teen's dull life. He enthralled him, his presence itself is too beautiful for him to not to look at him. His eyes always unconsciously followed the blond's frame. His existence is too bright, his dazzling smile is the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. His amber eyes are always sparkling, it sucks Aomine in and he always revels in those golden orbs. His expressions are too lovely, his pouts and whines are too endearing. His voice is the sweetest thing he'd ever heard, like music to his ears, like honey dripping with every noise that left from the blond's lips. His charisma and disposition always fascinates him, his very soul captivated and hypnotized the bluenette.

The tanned teen soon noticed the red blush on the pretty face and he could feel his control slowly slipping away. "Na, Kise look at me." Aomine whispered huskily, his eyes half-lidded.

Kise closed his eyes shut and turned his head away from Aomine.

There was quite a distance between them. And Aomine was itching to close it.

Golden Amber eyes fluttered open and saw Aomine gingerly taking a step forward. He brought his gaze up at Aomine with an expression of mild shock.

The tanned teen took another step and Kise unconsciously took a step backward. He blinked at his own action.

Aomine blinked himself, a bit taken aback.

"I-Aominecchi, w-wait-, I-you-that-" The blond couldn't get any more words out.

As Aomine took another step forward, Kise froze, staring at the bluenette with wide eyes. Kise parted his lips to speak but he couldn't form the words in his mind.

Aomine stepped forward again. "A-Aominecchi, no-wait! Don't-" The blond let out a whimper, unconsciously clutching on the hem of his shirt and looking away again.

But In a flash, the ace stood in front of the model.

Kise thought he was done for now. He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking he was going to be grabbed and kissed or something. He stopped breathing and waited.

He waited but the warm press of his lips never came, neither did his warm touch. The blonde slowly fluttered his eyes open. Aomine didn't touch him, neither did he speak. He just kept his eyes fixated on the blond.

They both stood in complete silence, not one single sound surrounded them.

Aomine registered every detail of Kise's face up close. Honey golden eyes looking away, thick eyelashes curved at the end framing amber eyes. The red blush too evident on his cheeks making him look _so_ damn lovely, _more_...he wanted Kise to blush more, just _for_ _him_ , just because _of him_. His pretty pink lips slightly parted, Aomine wanted to touch them, mash them against his own pair of lips. _He really is so cute._

Kise glanced at Aomine and quickly averted his eyes. He then heard Aomine heaving a quiet sigh and the model bit his inner cheek in nervousness.

The blond suddenly flinched when he felt a warm palm cupping his cheek. His amber eyes went wide and a shiver ran down his spine against the unexpected touch. He knew in that moment he was starting to lose.

The warmth he felt yesterday made a return.

His amber eyes fluttered close, his eyelids trembling. At the sight of his eyes closing, Aomine began tracing his thumb under the flesh of Kise's eyes. He wanted the blond to keep his eyes on him, to speak his mind.

"Kise..." Aomine whispered, his voice husky.

Kise's heart lept at the voice of his name being called out from _those_ lips, at the warm sensation of the tanned teen's thumb tracing his cheekbone near the corner of his eyes. It was so _so_ warm and pleasant and he wished that the tanned teen wouldn't notice the erratic beats of his heart. The blond couldn't move under Aomine's touch, neither could he speak. The touch was another spark of fire to him, like another electric current. He could feel himself trembling from the touch, from the warmth.

He slowly opened his eyes, and brought his gaze back to Aomine. Molten golden eyes met ocean blue eyes. Kise held his breath, not wanting to make any sudden movements.

The model stared into blue orbs which appeared to be even a darker shade of navy blue. Kise could feel himself getting lost at the view in front of him, like wallowing under the moonlight at the shore of the ocean, it feels peaceful and calming but the ocean was electrifying him, sending shivers throughout his body. Aomine's eyes were hypnotizing him and Kise couldn't come to tear off his eyes from those dark blue ones.

Kise unconsciously grabbed the wrist which caressed his cheek and leaned on his palm, wanting to feel the warmth more intensely.

Aomine's eyes widened, while his pulse quickened when he felt his wrist being grabbed by him, when Kise nuzzled into his touch. He could feel the model's cheeks tremble and shiver. He gritted his teeth, he was almost on the edge, he wanted to let go of his constraints and grab the model by his waist and pull him into a fierce kiss. But he decided against it, he needed to hear the blond speak.

The bluenette whispered his name again. "Kise..." His tone dark but gentle.

Golden eyes peeked at him through thick eyelashes, his scanning every part of the tanned teen's face. Up-close, Aomine Daiki is _highly_ mesmerizing. His blue eyes seemed to draw Kise more and more, his perfectly shaped nose, his thin blue eyebrows framing his face, his navy blue hair reminding him of the moon at the midnight hour, his caramel skin... _Aominecchi is really handsome._ His eyes settled on the tanned teen's lips. The lips that kissed him yesterday, the lips that made him feel numerous unknown feelings. His lips were so soft and warm and he remembered the flash of electricity which washed over him.

Before Kise could comprehend his actions, he leaned forward; closing the irritable distance between them and pressed his lips against the warm flesh of Aomine's. The palm was void of skin contact, now lingering in the air.

Blue eyes widened again at the unexpected kiss but before he could respond, Kise gasped realizing his actions, snapping his eyes open and pulled apart, breaking the unexpected and warm press of lips.

"A-A-Aomine-cchi, I-that-I'm sor-No-Wait-I'm-" The blond stuttered and flailed, his thoughts and actions a complete mess. A beautiful hue of a scarlet red appeared and spread up to his ears, looking like the loveliest creature on the planet Earth.

 _And_ Aomine snapped. He roughly pulled Kise towards him by grabbing his waist and mashed their lips together. He planted frantic kisses on the blond's cherry lips. "Aomin-mmpf!" Kise's words were cut off.

The blond tried to push back the bluenette with his hand but Aomine's grip on him was too strong.

"Wai-" The blonde tried to speak again.

The tanned teen reluctantly let go of Kise's lips but he kept his grip on his waist. Aomine was out of breath a little and looked at him with feverish eyes which made the blond's heart race faster than ever.

The bluenette exhaled in irritation. "Dammit! Kise, _I know_ you want this too, so for now, give it up!" Aomine then prodded Kise's chin up with his index finger hooking underneath his jaw, forcing him to look at him. He grabbed both of Kise's wrist, placing them around his neck. "You...you just need to wrap your hands around my neck and _let me kiss you._ " His eyes and voice dark and sultry sending shivers up the blond's spine.

Kise swallowed thickly at the words, he felt his entire body shake under Aomine. He could visibly see a faint pink blush adorning the tanned teen's cheeks. _Well, that was a rare sight_ , The blond mused.

Aomine lightly bend down and captured those sweet lips again. He tugged the blond forwards and tightly gripped him by his waist holding him in one place and began planting several kisses onto the blond's mouth.

With every kiss Aomine showered him, sparks flowed throughout Kise's body, with every kiss Aomine stole his breath. Kise couldn't keep a track of his heartbeat and he could feel his mind shutting down.

Aomine nibbled at his lower lip and bit them gently. He played with the full flesh between his lips and teeth, hoping for them to turn red and swollen later.

Kise slowly but gradually wrapped his arms around Aomine and let his half-lidded eyelids close entirely. He started responding and kissing the tanned teen back.

He felt Aomine's tongue demanding entrance into his mouth. He parted his lips for the foreign tongue to enter and in a millisecond; Aomine's tongue was inside Kise's mouth.

Aomine pulled Kise closer towards him, their chests touching and heaving, with no distance left. His grip getting firm by the passing second, squeezing the flesh of his waist through the blond's clothes.

Kise tightened his arms around Aomine's neck while the bluenette intertwined his tongue with the blond's, sending another wave of electricity jolting throughout his body. Kise knotted his brows in pleasure while the bluenette caressed his tongue and Kise responded by swirling his own around the other tongue.

 _Fuck, he tastes better than I thought,_ Aomine chimed. The feeling was overwhelming; never did the bluenette know kissing Kise would make him feel content and complete, never did he know just the taste of the blond's mouth will intoxicate him. It addicted him in an instant.

They tasted each other's mouth, devouring the saccharine flavour. Aomine kissed him furiously, their tongues intertwining with each other, mingling and exchanging saliva.

He didn't want to let go of Kise, of his mouth, of his tongue, of his lips and neither did Kise. They both began fighting for dominance, the blond tried to dominate the kiss, tried to dominate the foreign tongue but he failed to do so.

The bluenette pulled away and gazed at the lovely liquid golden eyes staring right at his cerulean blue ones. His heavy breathing against the blond's, the plump cheeks were on fire, dusted with a beautiful shade of scarlet red, he looked so _so_ lovely.

Aomine tilted his head and captured those alluring pink lips again.

Kise lips tugged upwards, smiling sweetly into the kiss. "Mgh...Aomine..cchi~" And moaned, which only added fuel to the fire. Aomine thrusted his tongue deeper inside Kise's mouth exploring the hot cavern. _More, more, Fuck, I want to kiss Aominecchi more!_ Kise furrowed his eyebrows together, pulling Aomine towards him, deepening the kiss, his own tongue furiously caressed Aomine's.

They both could feel each other's body heat and heartbeats, feeling delirious. This new foreign feeling was engulfing, the warmth and the heat spreading all over.

Kise arched his back and leaned backwards letting Aomine deepen the kiss.

Their lips melted together, the sweet taste mingled in their mouths, rendering both their minds unthinkable.

They both continued kissing, breaking the kiss just to tilt their heads only to kiss again. They explored each other's mouth, stealing each other's breaths and tasting each other with feverish passion.

Kise was glad Aomine held him by his waist or he would have clumsily slumped down. His knees were starting to give out. His legs begun to feel wobbly like jelly. The energy was draining from his body.

They later, pulled apart from each other, reluctantly breaking the kiss. A string of saliva connected them but soon disappearing into thin air.

Kise couldn't look into blue eyes, his face was beet red and he was too embarrassed. He opted to pull him into a hug, resting his head in the crook of Aomine's neck and shoulder while Aomine leaned and rested his head against Kise's. They both panted hard, breathing hard, to pump their lungs of the much needed oxygen.

Kise could feel Aomine's hot breath near his ear sending a fresh batch of shivers through his body. And the bluenette could feel Kise's hot breaths on his neck, goose bumps rising on his skin.

The blond's hair was fluffy and it gave off a sweet fruity scent, must be his shampoo, the bluenette mused. He inhaled the scent deeply; feeling a calm sensation wash over him. He had an urge to run his hands across the lovely sun-coloured hair. But his hands were occupied, wrapped gently around the blond's waist. Kise's waist was lean and he could feel the curve through his clothes. He seemed to be satisfied with the current position.

Kise himself found himself being entranced by Aomine's musky scent. A faint smell of sweat mixed along with something unrecognizable, filled the blond's nose. The tanned body was really warm against his.

They both stayed like that for a moment. Aomine's arms around Kise's waist while Kise arms around the bluenette's neck.

"So...what do you have to say, Kise?" Aomine broke the comfortable silence.

The blond blinked, his heartbeat fluttering. " _I_ , uh..I think, yeah...I think I- _I like y-you too._ "

Aomine chuckled, his breath tingling Kise's ear. "Heh? You think? _That_ kiss confirmed things for me, Kise."

"And also, your heartbeats tell me it's not just 'I think'." He added while hugging Kise tighter, strong tanned arms tightening around Kise.

The blond could only squeeze his eyes shut, he didn't realize Aomine could feel his heartbeat but come to think of it, even Aomine's heartbeats were unsteady.

"Na, Kise, Let me see your face."

"What? No! I don't want you to see my face!" Kise exclaimed, burying his head in the crook, securing his hold onto Aomine's neck.

"Oi? What? Let me see your face, Kise!" The blue eyed teen tired to budge but Kise's hold on him was strong.

"I don't want to!" Kise shrieked.

"And why not?"

"B-because it's too embarrassing, Aominecchi!"

"Hah? What the-what's so embarrassing?"

"It-it's just, you know...I just-"

"You what, Kise?"

"I mean I have never felt like this before and it feels all so new and I just, I don't..." His voice came out a little muffled.

"I just don't know how to deal with this, Aominecchi and it's also kind of...scary." Kise finally let go of Aomine and removed his arms from the tanned teen's neck but Aomine didn't retract his arms to his sides.

Kise looked up at Aomine and realized the bluenette hadn't let him go. He gazed into midnight blue eyes and he felt a cool drift of air passing by. His amber eyes widened when he suddenly something - "Uwah! Oh my god! Aominecchi! We-we just kissed in public!" The model began to wriggle free out of Aomine's grasp. "What? Now you're worried about that? I don't care about that, Kise!" He said, scrunching up his face.

"What do you mean you don't care? We're in public, Aominecchi. We-we shouldn't kiss in public!" The blond bawled, still trying to struggle free out of his grasp, hands tugging at tanned arms. "And let me go already!" He whined.

"Heh! Don't want to Kise and besides look around, there's no one here." Aomine's lips turned upwards into a playful smirk. Kise glanced around; there was really no one there. "But, we are still in public, so we shouldn't do this." Golden eyes glared at him. But instead Aomine pulled Kise closer but the blond still struggled.

The bluenette wrapped his arms around Kise's body tugging him towards his body and rested his forehead against his. "I'm really happy, you know. _Really_ happy." The tanned teen smiled and cupped his cheek. Kise stilled. His heart pummelled loudly again, he had not seen this gentle side of Aomine. It feels so different and strangely weird but it makes him feel special. He never would have imagined AOMINE DAIKI being so gentle. He's surprisingly sweet, Kise thought, his breathing ragged. "Me-me too, Aominecchi." He muttered shying away. For some reason Kise felt content. They didn't make any further movements.

The tanned teen then unwillingly let go of Kise, the blond groaned inwardly as he felt the warmth of his touch leave his body.

Kise let out a sigh at the obvious loss of the heat. Yellow eyes gazed up at Aomine and saw blue eyes fixated on him.

Aomine tilted his head to the side. He then fondly put his hand over the crown of the blond's hair and ruffled it gently, feeling the soft texture of his hair, the silky strands between his fingertips. "You know, I'm new at this too, Kise."

The blond felt the warmth of his hands, it feels calm. _His hands ruffling my hair feels soft, feels good._ Kise watched him through his heavy eyelashes.

Aomine heaved a sigh. "I don't know what will happen but I just wanted to let you know that we don't have to rush." He retracted his hands and shoved them in his pockets, the softness of the blond hair lingered on his fingertips, on his palm. He watched the sun-coloured hair come to a standstill, his annoyingly perfect silky hair coming to rest as if it was never ruffled.

"So...if it feels scary then it's fine because I'll be with you, I'll be with you through all the scary parts and the happy ones too." Cerulean blue eyes softened and his lips curled into a soft smile.

Amber eyes widened slightly, feeling his heart clench. _Shit! He really is so..._ Kise threw his arms around the taller body, wrapping around them and hugged him.

Aomine was surprised, stumbling back a little but he quickly returned the hug. "T-thank you, Aominecchi!" The blond chirped.

The bluenette felt embarrassed suddenly. "Idiot, you don't have to thank me! Instead you can do the same for me." He grinned.

"H-hai! I'll be with you too." The blond beamed, becoming too aware of his unsteady heartbeat.

Kise quickly pulled back albeit unwillingly.

"N-now what?" Kise asked, feeling shy, looking away.

"Now we go on a date!" Aomine answered quickly, flashing him a toothy grin.

"A d-d-date?!" He stuttered, feeling his heart race and a scarlet blush adorning his face which spread up to his ears. "Oh my god! I hadn't even thought about that! That's so embarrassing!" Kise buried his face in his palms.

"What the-What do you mean you hadn't thought about it? What were you doing yesterday? You idiot!" The tanned teen furrowed his blue brows.

The model felt stupid, he fussed over the entire situation but now he was confounded.

Kise sighed in defeat while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. He replied a simple "Okay." His heart thudded loudly in his chest. _A date...I'll be going on a date wi-with Aominecchi~_ He wanted to bury his head somewhere in embarrassment.

"I'm guessing you'll meet me again on the next weekend?" The ace asked him, dragging him out of his stupor.

Kise blinked and nodded. "Next Sunday."

"Where do you want to go?" Aomine questioned.

"I-I don't know, a-anywhere is fine, I guess." Kise answered, the blush too evident on his beautiful face.

"Heh! Kise, you're blushing!" Aomine teased him, his lips forming a mocking smirk.

"Oh, Shut up! Ahominecchi~" Kise whined and pouted, his lips forming an 'O'.

"You're really cute, you know that? You make me want to kiss you again." Aomine let out a chuckle. And Kise blushed up to his ears again, gritting his teeth.

"Oh god! You're really so embarrassing. You know that? Have you no shame, Aominecchi?!" Kise had an urge to run away now.

"Nope, I don't. So prepare yourself. Because I'm not going to hold back now." The tanned teen arched a blue eyebrow, smirking at him.

Annoyance soon took over Kise and he puffed out his cheeks.

Aomine poked them with his index fingers and air poofed out of the puffed cheeks. Kise blinked and the tanned teen began pinching and stretching his cheeks. "Ow-ow, ow!, Aomine-cchi-that-hurts!" The blond winced, his eyes on the verge of tears. He grabbed the other teen's wrists, trying to get away while he scowled in pain. "Wow, what an ugly face!" Aomine teased, smirking and letting go of the model's face. "You're saying that to a model. You big meanie!" Kise pouted letting out a fake sob, rubbing his cheeks which were stinging a little and the slight red marring his pale skin.

 _Too cute,_ Aomine leaned forward, about to kiss Kise but was met with a warm palm against his lips. "No, don't even think about it! I told you we're outside, Aominecchi."

Aomine chuckled against his palm, he parted his lips and licked Kise's palm. The amber eyed teen quickly withdrew his palm and frowned a little.

Kise took a deep breath and exhaled lightly. "A-and if you want me to go on a date, really anywhere is fine."

"As long as I'm with you." Kise mumbled under his breath, not letting the words fall upon Aomine's ears.

Aomine pondered for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck, he wasn't able to come up with any ideas for now. "I can't decide right now but I'll let you know. You just be ready next Sunday, okay?"

Kise nodded in reply. The bluenette and the blond left the premises and walked towards the metro station. Upon reaching the station, they both stood opposite of each other.

The blond flinched when Aomine reached up to his face, tucking a flock of sun-coloured hair behind his ear. Kise felt his entire face heating up and he quickly looked away.

Blue eyebrows rose when he realized that Kise's blushing again "Pfft...You really do blush a lot, don't you? Aomine asked snorting. "Oh, just shut up, Aominecchi!" Kise hmph'd.

The blond then exhaled and took a quick glance at his wrist watch, the train was arriving soon and he didn't want to miss it. "I-I have to go in now, Aominecchi, I'll meet you next week." The blond said, his heartbeats skyrocketing but for a moment he didn't feel like leaving.

The tanned teen nodded. "Yeah, I'll text you."

And just when Kise went past Aomine, he turned around and placed a quick little kiss on the tanned teen's cheek.

Blue eyes widened in surprise. "Goodbye, Aominecchi! See you next week!" The blond giggled and gave a frantic wave of his hand and beamed at him, grinning ear to ear."

Now it was Aomine's turn to get embarrassed and a shade of pink blush appeared on his cheeks. He hovered his fingertips on the kissed cheek and smacked his palm on his face.

 _Why do I feel like I lost at something? Dammit! I really am done for!_ His heart fluttered wildly in his chest.

(Tbc)


	15. Idiots Around Us

Aomine stepped inside the gymnasium of his school, whistling a rather cheery tune with no awareness of his surroundings. All ears perked up and looked around, trying to recognize the source of the unusual jovial sound. The club members found themselves to be in half shock and half confusion when their gaze settled on to the source which walked into view. The grumpy ace of the Touou is cheerfully whistling? They were all bewildered. What have the universe been up to?

The bluenette has been light-hearted recently. He's been far less grumpy and arguably tolerable when someone actually doesn't bother him.

Aomine smiled softly at a particular trait of Kise which popped up in his head. He began humming another soft tune. Sakurai glanced at Wakamatsu who looked confused and a tad bit disgusted. "I'm sorry, Wakamatsu-san. I'm so sorry, I don't why Aomine-san has been acting weird off recently. I don't have a clue. I'm really sorry!" The brunette began apologizing unnecessarily. "Oh god, I know. Seriously, stop with that sorry shit over and over again." Wakamatsu rubbed his temples, a sudden slight headache clouded his mind.

"Yo!" Aomine greeted the captain nonchalantly, with a friendly wave of his hand. Wakamatsu scowled in return, feeling repulsed. "What the fuck is the matter with you? Why the heck are you being all happy and shit?"

Now, the bluenette scowled in return. "Hah? What are you talking about?". "You're being disgusting, Aomine. Cut it out!" The captain threw a glare at him.

"What the hell? What's got your panties in a knot?" Aomine huffed while Wakamatsu's eyebrows lifted high. "What did you say, you punk?" The captain felt a vein pop in anger.

Aomine let out a loud yawn. "Calm down, Wakamatsu. I don't know what you're talking about. I came for the damn practice on time right? That too, without you baiting me with Mai-chan's magazine." The ace smirked at him.

Wakamatsu made a weird face and shook his head. "Whatever. Go change for the practice." Aomine scoffed and went to the locker room.

The practice went on as usual; sometimes with the bluenette showing off in the middle while some of his teammates rolled their eyes. After it finished, the ace showered and sat on the bench of the court while others began stuffing things in their bag and getting ready to leave.

He drank a few gulps from the water bottle when his blue cell phone beeped. Aomine tapped the screen to open the incoming message,

* * *

Received From Kise:

Aominecchi...

The bluenette's heart skipped a beat followed by a sharp intake of breath. They hadn't texted much since _then_. The blond has been busy with school and work and so has the bluenette. Although, Aomine did nothing but mostly laze around. Hence, most of the time, he let Kise text him whenever he was free. But to be honest, he's been itching to talk to the blond.

Sent To Kise:

Blondie...

Received From Kise:

Why do you keep calling me blondie?（￣へ￣）

Sent To Kise:

Cuz you are one

Received From Kise:

I know I am! I just don't know why you call me that

Hmph! whatever!

What are you doing? My practice just ended

I'm so tired! (´～`)

It was fun though (≧∀≦)

Sent to Kise:

Heh! It's fun to call you that

My practice just ended too

Are you heading to work now?

Received from Kise:

Yup! I've to go to the agency today!

My new photo book is coming out! (￣∇￣")

It will take some time though...

Sent to Kise:

Oi send me your pic

Been some time since I've seen your ugly mug

Received From Kise:

Hehehe Aominecchi you've become a fan of mine

Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

Sent To Kise:

In your dreams Kise!

Received From Kise:

Meanie!

And hasn't it been only a couple of days?

(*≧▽≦)

Sent To Kise:

Shut up and send it!

Received From Kise:

Here for my biggest fan!

(image attachment)

(づ￣ ³￣)づ

Sent To Kise:

Next time we meet, I'll kick your ass!

* * *

Aomine tapped on the screen and opened the attachment, and smiled at the image displayed on the screen. The sent image was one of the most normal ones of Kise. There was no make-up on his face, he didn't pose with a wink or with a peace sign, neither was he in one of his fancy model clothes. He wore a simple jersey of his club and there was just a small smile tugging on his lips. A smile resembling a warm ray of sunshine. It was one of the most serene and natural smiles of Kise, like he was at peace. Aomine for a moment, stares at the image, swiftly imprinting every detail of the blond's face in his mind.

The ace was about to tap on the screen to reply when someone called out to him. "Aomine, why are you smiling like a creep when you're looking at the screen?" The captain eyed the bluenette, his entire face scrunched up in disgust by his teammate's unusual creepy face.

"Nothing..." The ace quickly diverted his gaze, trying to brush off the question.

"Hmmm...is it really nothing, Daaaaai-chan?" Momoi drawled out his name and walked into his periphery. Aomine saw a smug smile plastered on her face. The pink haired girl knows well _that_ he has the idea what she was trying to imply. He met her gaze and narrowed his eyes.

Since the start of the week, the bluenette has avoided her like a plague. He knew the moment they face each other she will bombard him with unnecessary questions. Therefore, he decided he wouldn't give her a chance to do so.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Satsuki." He inwardly groaned, annoyance now sinking into him.

"But-but, Dai-chan," She pouted, her eyes filled with pretend innocence. "You've been smiling a lot whenever you look at your phone screen lately and you appear to be less irritable, especially _these_ days." She raised her eyebrows and pouted again. "Did something good happen?" The pink haired girl hummed, batting her eyes innocently.

"Shut up, Sat-"

"Oh, that's right. Aomine-san has been different than usual." Sakurai spoke up and nodded in agreement with the pink haired girl.

Aomine clicked his tongue in annoyance, _she just had to go and open her big mouth._

"Hmmm~ maybe Dai-chan has a girlfriend?" Momoi asked, snickering under her breath.

Aomine's breath hitched and he grimaced. "Satsuki, I told you to shut up!"

Sakurai was confused at the conversation between the bluenette and the pink haired girl. He looked at Momoi first then at Aomine, then back and forth at them. "Eh? I thought Momoi-san was Aomine-san's girlfriend?"

Aomine and Momoi, both, turned towards the brunette in shock, repulsion written on their face.

"What the hell? Why would I be this ganguro's girlfriend?"

"What the fuck? Why would I be this ugly woman's boyfriend?"

Aomine and Momoi pointed sharp glances at each other and eventually shuddered in disgust.

"Man, I wanna throw up!" Aomine exclaimed.

"That was really nauseating!" The pink haired girl mused.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Sorry, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry. I really am sorry." Sakurai's frail figure was now shaking and he began bowing apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry!" Tears gathered in his eyes while he continued to rant on apologies. "I'm truly sorry, Aomine-san and Momoi-san, I'm sorry! I am so sorry, please forgive me. I'm sorry-"

"Oh geez, calm down, Sakurai-kun. Dai-chan is like a brother to me, a useless one but still very much a brother." She smiled reassuringly, patting the boy and tried to calm down the unrelenting apologetic mushroom.

Aomine just rolled his eyes at the pathetic scene.

Momoi turned to face Aomine. "And Dai-chan, I'm not ugly, if anyone here is ugly, it's you! You big ape!" She puffed her cheeks in anger. Aomine dismissed the argument with another roll of his eyes.

"I don't think Aomine has a girlfriend. Who'd even be willing to put up with his shit?" Wakamatsu scoffed, mocking him.

"What the hell is your problem, Wakamatsu? If I _did_ have a girlfriend, she'd be lucky to have me!" Aomine's lips curled into a smug grin. _Well, it's not particularly a girlfriend._ _He's a boy though, so that makes him my boyfriend. But that doesn't matter; since, either way he's still lucky to have me._ He mused, a smile forming on his lips-only to frown later.

"But, Dai-chan, does have a girlfriend!" Momoi insisted.

"Satsuki, how many times do I have to tell you to shut up?"

"Oh, it's good that Aomine-san has a girlfriend." Sakurai said.

"Poor girl! She doesn't know what she's getting into. What does she see in you anyway?"

"Wakamatsu, if you don't want my knee to meet your gut in a painful punch then I suggest you to watch your tongue." Aomine raised his voice at him.

"Calm down, Dai-chan."

"This is so stupid, I'm outta here!"

Aomine shoved his stuff in his bag but his actions came to a sudden halt when a certain familiar and unwanted voice joined the conversation. "Oh? Aomine has a girlfriend? That's so interesting!"

He snapped his head backwards and saw the guy leaning at the wall of the gym. "Imayoshi, what the fuck are you doing here?" The ex-captain crossed his hands over his chest.

"You're so rude, Aomine. Even though I am the ex-captain, you still know that this year isn't over yet right?" He smirked at him, the corner of his lips twitching upwards. "And besides don't talk as if you don't wish to see me here."

The ace glowered, he has never liked the guy. Imayoshi has that weird aura about him which caused chills to run down the blunette's spine.

Aomine grabbed his bag, flinging it over his shoulder and began walking towards the exit. He was about to take a tentative step out of the gym but a hand suddenly grabbed his arm firmly. He turned his head sharply sideways and gritted his teeth.

"You seem to be in hurry, going to meet up with your _girlfriend~_?" Imayoshi's lips curled into a sly smile while the bluenette's face scrunched up.

"None of your business, Imayoshi." Aomine's rough tone was filled with malice. He glared at Imayoshi with hostility.

"Really now...?" The bespectacled teen quirked an eyebrow at him. "And...your supposed 'girlfriend' is actually a boyfriend, right?" The words came out in a whisper. The slits of eyes opening up, ever so slightly through his glasses, to meet up Aomine's eyes. The sly smile growing on his face, upon seeing the blue eyes widening to the size of saucers in horror.

Aomine growled in anger, clenching his fists. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh gee...I don't know...few days ago..." Imayoshi put a finger under his chin, tapping it, pretending to be in deep thought. "I might have seen you kissing the ace of Kaijo high at a certain outdoor basketball court."

Aomine gasped slightly, his eyes widening simultaneously then narrowing in malevolence. He sucked in few breaths harshly and clenched his jaw when he felt his blood boil.

"I was just walking by and witnessed you two engaging intently in a particular conversation. I was about to call you out but then I saw you locking lips with Kise-kun. Truthfully, I was surprised to see you kissing a boy but I quickly left, not wanting to disturb your private moment, which was very much in a public park. You were lucky it was I who saw you and not someone else."

The ace yanked his arm roughly out of Imayoshi's hold. He almost grabbed his collar in anger but restrained himself and took a deep breath. Aomine knew very well he could beat Imayoshi up if he ever tried to hurt Kise in any way but he wouldn't act rashly now. He didn't want to cause a scene in front of everybody. "You know..." Aomine seethed in anger. "I'll fucking kill you if you ever try to hurt Kise."

"Calm down. I have no ill intentions towards Kise-kun. _Why_ does everyone think I'm evil? I'll have you know, I am a lovely person!" The bespectacled teen stated innocently.

"Although, I do have to admit...Ryouta is pretty hot." He swiped his tongue on his lower lip, "I bet he'd be fucking good in bed and that ass of his woul-"

Aomine dropped his bag on the ground and suddenly lunged at Imayoshi with full force, grabbing his collar and slammed him painfully against the wall. His hands coming to grip Imayoshi's neck a little too painfully. "How fucking dare you? I dare you to say that to my face again. Say that again and watch me tighten my grip around your neck!" Aomine spat, his nails digging into Imayoshi's flesh. His voice dripping with animosity, eyes red and body burning with anger.

Imayoshi opened the slits of his eyes and his lips twitched into a wicked smirk. "H-hah! You're too much, Aomine." He muttered, wheezing in pain. "Th-that was clearly a joke!" He grabbed Aomine's wrists, trying to pry them away.

"Dai-chan!"

"Aomine-san!"

"Aomine! What the fuck are you doing?"

All eyes widened in horror and shock. But before they could take a step forward to act, the ex-captain spoke up-

"N-nothing! Nothing! Aomine is just playing! It's nothing to worry about!" Imayoshi announced, his voice suppressed from the painful grip. Aomine broke out of his stance and let go of Imayoshi. The bespectacled teen held back the urge to inhale harshly.

"Right? Aomine?" Imayoshi glanced towards him and smiled.

"Uh...yeah," was all Aomine could say. He let out an indignant huff, too aware of his blood soaring from the adrenaline rush. His breathing ragged.

Everybody's eyes stayed glued onto them, the atmosphere filled with tension. "Don't worry guys! Go back to whatever you were doing. Aomine and I are just having a friendly little chat." Imayoshi flung his arm around Aomine's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze-signalling him to play along. The bluenette tensed, still reeling from the anger. "Yeah, you heard him. This is nothing." Aomine tried to ease up the air while everybody stayed doubtful for a moment. "Is everything really okay?" Wakamatsu asked. Sakurai stood stiff next to him, his heart frozen for a moment. "Haha...Yes, it is." The bespectacled teen smiled reassuringly, mainly at Sakurai. Wakamatsu sighed and they all hesitantly resumed their idle chatters but Sakurai kept glancing at them.

Aomine slapped Imayoshi's hand off of his shoulder. The ex-captain turned towards him and caught his breath, rubbing his neck and coughing a little after the tension died down. "Are you possessive of Kise-kun or something? Cuz man, _that_ was some grip."

"Fuck you, Imayoshi, you had it coming!" The bluenette remarked. "Hah! Don't worry, he's not my type." The bespectacled teen said, chuckling whilst clearing his throat. "You know, you're kind of fun to tease." He smirked at the bluenette.

"I could've fucking choked you to death and you say it's fun to tease me?" Blue eyebrows narrowed in vexation.

"Aomine, I'm not some prissy little girl, I could very well put up a fair fight. Also, you kind of caught me off-guard by lunging at me." Imayoshi sighed.

Aomine gritted his teeth, he should have at least punched him.

"You know, your secret is safe with me..." The bespectacled teen grinned through his teeth, the slits of his eyes remaining close.

But Aomine just continued eying him in rage. He really could never predict this guy. He _always_ had a way to get under someone's skin.

"Although, I'd have to say, I would have never thought that you'd swing the other way. You're always harping about boobs. I also didn't think that someone like Kise-kun might agree to go out with you. But hey, you've always had a soft spot for him so I shouldn't be all that surprised." He added.

Aomine tsk'd. "Again, none of your fucking business."

"I suppose it isn't. Oh well, don't you worry. I'm pretty gay myself."

Aomine blinked in surprise. He's gay? The ex-captain is gay? Is this a joke? Are his ears playing tricks on him? "What the fuck? You are?" He questioned, feeling too incredulous.

"Yes and now, just like you I have a boyfriend too." The bespectacled teen declared bluntly.

"Really? Which guy in his right mind would actually go out with you?" Aomine couldn't, for the life of him, figure out any reason for someone to go out with the evil glasses guy.

"Oh? Which guy, you ask?" Imayoshi raised his eyebrows. "The shooting guard of Touou's Basketball team." He looked in the direction of his boyfriend who was muttering pointless apologies, yet again, to Wakamatsu, probably regarding Aomine's recent behaviour.

Aomine's mouth fell open at the mind-boggling information.

"You-you mean Sakurai? What the fuck? You and Sakurai? That's fucking bullshit!" Aomine looked borderline flabbergasted.

"Oh, I assure you, this is no joke, Aomine. I don't play around." Imayoshi narrowed his eyes at him.

"Why would a guy like _him_ would go out with a guy like _you_? You're both...just so different! This is fucking crazy!" Aomine looked back and forth at Imayoshi and Sakurai.

"I don't know. The last time I checked, Kise-kun and you, yourself are pretty different."

"Don't lump me in with you, Imayoshi!" Aomine hissed while Imayoshi just chuckled beside him. "Whatever, I'm leaving. I've had enough shit for today." The bluenette picked up his bag thrown on the floor and left the gym quickly.

Imayoshi strutted towards Sakurai. "What was all that about?"

"Oh that? Don't worry. The blue kitty was just feisty today!" The bespectacled teen let out a chuckle.

"Are-are you okay?" Sakurai asked, his eyes full of worry.

Imayoshi put a hand on his head and patted his brunette hair. "Yeah, I am. Don't worry, Ryou." He smiled at him. Sakurai brought his gaze down, his cheeks flushing.

Aomine walked forward when a shrill voice called out to him. "Dai-chan, wait up!" _Oh god dammit, give me a fucking break!_ Apparently, he hadn't had enough shit for today.

Aomine quickened his pace. He didn't want to be questioned. But the luck, unfortunately, was on Momoi's side. She trotted over, quickly catching up to him.

"What was that about? Why did you suddenly grabbed Imayoshi-san by his neck?" Satsuki asked, not believing the scene that played out in the gym.

"That was nothing Satsuki, don't worry. Just friendly banter." Aomine tried to put her mind at rest.

The girl beside him stared at him for a moment and then heaved a sigh. "If you say so but that looked dangerous. Did he say something to you?"

"Let it go, he was just being an ass. It's all fine now."

"Umm, okay..." She hummed indecisively.

Aomine then sighed in relief.

They fell in comfortable silence and began walking towards the school gate when Momoi finally decided to speak up.

"Well...I was right, weren't I?" _And here they come_ , the bluenette groaned whilst rolling his eyes. "Ki-chan likes you back right? I told you, my woman's intuition is never wrong." She smirked in triumph. The bluenette felt a dull headache coming on. "What did he exactly say? What did you exactly say? Are you guys officially dating now? When are you going on a date? Or have you been on a date already? You didn't say anything stupid, did you?" The girl rambled on, her hands resting on her hips, like a mother chiding at her petulant child.

"God, Satsuki! Would you calm the fuck down?" Aomine rubbed his temples. "And don't be so loud, people might hear you."

"Then, answer me already!" She lightly slapped her hand on Aomine's arm.

The ace heaved a sigh in defeat. There's just no getting away from her. "Yes, he likes me back. And yeah, you were right. Are you happy now?" He frowned and felt a little embarrassed at his own words.

"Very much!" She smiled smugly. "But you didn't answer my other questions!" She pouted.

"No, we haven't been on a date yet. And I didn't say anything stupid. That's enough answers for now." He tried to brush off the topic, walking ahead in long strides.

She followed her childhood friend, sprinting to catch up to his speed. Oh, he's not getting away today. "Oh, come on, give me the juicy details." She rubbed her hands, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No!"

"Fine! I'll just text Ki-chan and ask him myself!" She huffed and took out her phone.

"NO! No, don't do that. I'll tell you!"

"Yay!" She exclaimed amusingly.

The bluenette slumped his shoulders, this is so tiresome. "I asked him to go out with me. The next day, he told me that he will go out with me. And I told him that the next weekend I'll take him out on a date. The end." Aomine answered her in a deadpan tone.

"But Dai-ch-"

"The end, Satsuki! Nothing. Else. Happened." Aomine enunciated.

"Hmph, fine! You grumpy ape! I won't ask for more." She pouted again but didn't pursue the topic further.

 _Thank god_ , Aomine breathed a sigh in relief. He just wanted to head home, do nothing whatsoever, have dinner and then sleep.

* * *

Kise was at his work, the photo shoot has been going on for quite a while now. Today his photographer was Kazuya-san, a married man in his mid 40s who's worked with the blond model for a long time. Over the time, they've been on friendly terms. The man is always patient with him and he has the talent to bring out potential in models. Kise was grateful to him as he taught him many things regarding modelling.

He's one of the photographers Kise has worked with, for a long time. Kise has always been comfortable in front of cameras. But that is now, when he first entered the modelling career in his early teens he was considerably nervous. And his first photo shoot was with Kazuya-san. He made the blond feel comfortable and advised him to just be himself.

Whenever Kise's working with him, it feels comfortable and the work environment feels less strained.

"That's right, Kise-kun!" Kazuya-san, complimented when he changed his pose and flashed a dazzling smile at the camera. The blond was dressed in black jeans, the thick fabric hugging his hips perfectly, he wore a v-neck red t-shirt with a dark blue denim jacket over it which only complimented his appearance.

"Now, look to your other side and smile just like how you always do..." Kazuya instructed him and the model followed them. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned his head sideways. He stared off in space, his eyes not settling over any object that lay before his vision and he smiled. "Yes, just like that! Keep going!" The photographer exclaimed.

Kise's thoughts suddenly drifted towards the owner of a certain midnight blue eyes. That evening lay fresh on Kise's mind and heart. He remembered the touch and warmth of the tanned flesh on his body. Igniting a fire within him and invoking numerous feelings. He remembered Aomine's sweet gestures and his peaceful smiles directed towards him. It reminded him of a lazy ocean smiling upon him. Soon, Kise got distracted and found his eyes casting down, his lashes falling lazily on his cheek and pink lips tugged upwards in a small smile just at the thought of Aomine.

The camera flash went off relentlessly but later the sounds of the clicks and the flashes ceased abruptly altogether. The model blinked once and looked up at the photographer in confusion and tilted his head.

He noticed, the man in front of him stood frozen. "I don't think I've ever seen you make an expression like that." The photographer stared at Kise wide-eyed.

Amber eyes widened and his cheeks flushed ever so lightly. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to get distrac-"

"No, no, you don't have to apologize. That was just...something different. If you could, umm, could you please smile just like that, again?"

Kise gulped thickly, smile just like that? Like what exactly? What kind of expression did he just have? "I-I don't know but I'll give it a try."

"Sure! That expression before was lovely! That will definitely add more appeal to your photos."

The model blinked furiously. Wasn't he thinking of Aomine? Yes, he was. He thought of Aomine and he smiled in return. Kise wanted to know what kind of expression did he just have? Was it just a simple smile? Or an excited one? Or a toothy one? What was it exactly?

The camera began flashing and he tried smiling, his lips forming into an awkward smile. "No, this isn't it..." Kazuya-san looked puzzled. "That smile was just...it felt..." He struggled to find the right word.

After a few seconds he found it. " _Pure._ " He stated loudly.

"Your smile was just pure and real, Kise-kun."

The model's heart hammered at a much faster rate and he chewed his inner cheek. _Pure and real, huh?_ Just what did it exactly look like? He wanted to see that smile, the smile he only ever can make while he thinks of Aomine. "Okay, I'll try again." Kise said, too conscious of his heart beat.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. All his heart and brain could think of was Aomine. Cerulean eyes, Caramel skin, Dark blue hair, his rash and gentle behaviour, and all the images and the memories flooding back. A small smile graced the model's face, his eyes closed and the corner of his eyes crinkling slightly.

"Wow! Yes! That's it! That's great, Keep going. That's amazing!" Kise heard the photographer say. He shifted his body and turned to look at the camera lens, the lens zooming onto his beautiful face. The clicks of the camera were too frequent, capturing his every expression.

He turned his head to the other direction. He remembered the way Aomine looks at him-like he can't get enough of him, the way he tucked his hair behind his ear- a gentle gesture without hesitance, the way he lights a fire within him-like no one else had, the way his warmth touched him-burning his body, the way he cupped his cheek-too warm and lovely, the way his lips tug upwards to smile softly at him-so sincere.

The moments when Aomine waits for him, the moments when he sees him off at the station, the moments when they have too much fun playing Basketball. He just thought of the beautiful existence of Aomine, like a moon and a million stars gracing the night sky, adding more to its beauty. His mind and heart only revolved around the bluenette. His gaze then came to settle on camera, he smiled again resembling sunshine and rainbows. "You are on a roll, Kise-kun! Just a few more shots and we're done for today!" The blond ran his hand over his hair, and smiled again but in the end he flashed the usual model smile.

The flash went off a few times and then it was a wrap.

Kise wanted to take a quick look at the photographs. "Excuse me, Kazuya-san, may I get a look at the photos you just took?" The model asked his photographer, growing nervous to see his own expressions.

The photographer nodded in agreement and pressed some buttons. He began showing the pictures to the model.

Kise's eyes scanned through every photo. He himself have never seen this smile on his face. In each and every photo, his smile was different- too different from the usual. His photographer was right; this isn't the way he usually smiled at the camera. These smiles felt too raw and full of emotion.

He gulped thickly and he chewed on his lower lip. His hands felt clammy. He knew these photos are to be published in the new photo book but after actually viewing them, it didn't sit well with him. These photos felt too private and he wasn't comfortable letting the world see this side of him.

"Can I ask you something, Kise-kun?" The photographer looked up at him.

"Sure, what is it? The model's heartbeat sped up.

"It's just...uh...where you thinking of a particular someone OR something? I don't mean to offend you in anyway but today I felt like I got to see a new side of the model, Kise Ryouta."

The model's eyebrows rose in surprise and he swallowed thickly again. For a moment he blanked out. "I..uh, no there's nothing of that sort. I was just um...me." He stumbled for words.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry to have said something so weird."

"Oh, no, no, it's okay." Kise flashed a smile at him.

"But, umm, can I make a request from you?" The blond asked, his tone serious.

"Yes, sure." Kazuya-san smiled back.

"Umm, that..those photos, umm," Kise swallowed the lump in this throat. "Can you not submit it to the agency or show it to my manager? I'm sorry but it's just...I...those photos are of a private matter to me, so could you please not? I know you said, they are good but I don't want them to be included." The model sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

The photographer stared at him and took a quick glance at the photos. Well, he is the model so he's got a say in this. And he could understand the model's sentiments. He was a bit reluctant at first because he knew these are one of the greatest shots of Kise Ryouta and it will boost his career but he wouldn't want to inconvenience the blond in any way.

He sighed, knowing all too well that these photos now would not be included, a sense of loss entered his mind. "Okay. Kise-kun, I won't. Anyway, there are tons of other photos from today's shoot I can submit." Kazuya-san smiled at Kise, reassuringly.

"Thank you so much and could you please mail those photos to me and then delete them from the memory later?"

"Yes, sure. I can."

Relief washed over the model and he sighed, a smile following after that. "Thank you very much!" Kise bowed towards the older man.

"I really appreciate this. Your wife is a lucky woman, Kazuya-san." The blond giggled.

"Oh, really? You should tell her that sometimes! She just knows how to push my buttons though."

"But you still lover her!" Kise chirped.

Kazuya sighed. "Y-yes, I do." A pink blush adored his cheeks and he looked away.

This 40 something old man is too cute, Kise mused.

Nearing the end of the photoshoot, Kise bowed again. "Thank you for your hard work." He got the same response from his photographer and bided him goodbye.

The model then headed towards the conference room. He quickly spotted his manager and the manager of the agency seated in one of the empty seats, engaged in serious conversation. There were some papers lying around the table and headshots of various models including Kise.

The blond greeted them both and sat next to his manager. His manager told him that the photo shoot he's currently working on might go on a standby as another model is scheduled to be in the shoots with him. And the man is popular so he's scheduled is jam packed. Working with him will benefit his career. So until then, Kise will be occupied with other photo shoots which will be featured in fashion magazines. The blond agreed and there was mutual understanding among the three of them.

Kise was then done for the day. The model and his manager got up from their seats and bowed to the manager of the agency. They excited the premises and then headed home.

After half an hour, he arrived at his apartment.

"Nee-chan, I'm home." The blond's voice resonated in the entrance.

"Welcome back, Ryouta." Came a faint reply from the kitchen.

Kise proceeded to head towards his room, he quickly discarded his clothes and showered. He then later had dinner with his older sibling, informing her about the delay in the photoshoot.

He watched some television but was soon bored as nothing interesting came on it. He decided to just get some sleep. He went to his room and flopped on the soft mattress. He eased himself and let his bed do wonders for him. He instantly relaxed and sighed.

He glanced at the clock, it was around 11pm. He groaned, it was still early to sleep.

He let his eyes flutter close and soon enough, a certain tanned teen occupied his mind. His phone suddenly beeped. A message:

* * *

Received From Aominecchi:

Yo!

Kise smiled at the sender of the message. What a perfect timing to text, Kise thought.

Sent To Aominecchi:

Aominecchi! (＾▽＾)

Received From Aominecchi:

Sup?

Sent To Aominecchi:

I just had a very long day!

And now I'm soooo tired! （´д`）

Received From Aominecchi:

Tell me about it

I'm tired too

Sent To Aominecchi:

Aominecchi...

Received From Aominecchi:

What is it, blondie?

Sent To Aominecchi:

I like you...

Aomine blinked in surprise, did Kise just- The bluenette's cheeks flushed lightly.

Received From Aominecchi:

Idiot

Tell me that in person

Sent To Aominecchi:

Okay

(⌒▽⌒)

Received From Aominecchi:

And I'll make sure to kiss the living daylights out of you

Sent To Aominecchi:

AOMINECCHI! ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ

Received From Aominecchi:

What? You don't want me to?

Sent To Aominecchi:

...

No, I want you to

（˶′◡‵˶）

Received From Aominecchi:

Hahaha :D

baka Kise

Sent To Aominecchi:

Ahominecchi! (´Д` )

Received From Aominecchi:

Oh btw just a heads up

Satsuki knows about us

Amber eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Did he just read that right? What the hell? How did Momoi figure out? And how did Aomine just announce that someone knows about them, about their new formed relationship.

Sent To Aominecchi:

What do you mean she knows about us? (*ﾟﾛﾟ)

Received From Aominecchi:

She knows that I asked you to go out with me and you agreed

Sent To Aominecchi:

What? Aominecchi? How can Momocchi just know?

I don't believe this

(╯°Д °)╯╧╧

Received From Aomine:

She just figured it out

You know how observant she is

Sent To Aominecchi:

Oh well

I can believe that ┬─┬ノ(ಠ_ಠノ)

But still

She's ok about it?

Received From Aominecchi:

She's more than ok about it

She pestered me too much though

I'll tell you more about it when we meet

Sent To Aominecchi:

So she supports us?

That's so sweet and Kind of Momocchi (づ￣ ³￣)づ

Received From Aominecchi:

Shut up

Stop that stupid smiley

And there's nothing sweet and kind about her

She's just too noisy

Sent To Aominecchi:

Meanie Aominecchi! (≧Д≦)

You shouldn't be so mean towards Momocchi

And it's not a smiley, it's an emoticon (^ _ ^)/

Received From Aominecchi:

Whatever

Shut up!

Sent To Aominecchi:

Ahominecchi!

Where are we going on a date? (ノ^∇^)

Received From Aominecchi:

Idk

Haven't decided

I'm a simple guy

Don't expect a fancy date from me

Sent To Aominecchi:

A simple Basketball date is fine with me

Ю ● ＼(^_＼)

Received From Aominecchi:

That's tempting Kise

But no

I wanna do an actual date thing

Sent To Aominecchi:

You're so sweet Aominecchi (づ￣ ³￣)づ

Received From Aominecchi:

Shut up!

Go to sleep

Sent To Aominecchi:

Are you embarrassed? (*≧▽≦)

Received From Aominecchi:

No I'm not

(Yes, he was)

Baka

Go to sleep

Sent To Aominecchi:

Oh you totally are! (/^▽^)/

Received From Aominecchi:

Go to sleep! Baka Kise

Sent To Aominecchi:

Sure! If you say so

I'm exhausted anyway

Goodnight Aominecchi

( ˘ ³˘)

Received From Aominecchi:

Night Kise

* * *

They both smiled and relaxed on their bed. Too exhausted and soon drifting off to sleep while thinking of each other.

* * *

(Tbc)


	16. First Date: Part One

Kise rummaged through his wardrobe, eyes raking over tons of clothes, a heap of shirts and jeans already splayed out on his bed. For about an hour, he has been scratching his brain in order to find a perfect outfit. He didn't want to be too fancy neither too under-dressed. What would Aomine like? Would he like it if he dressed casually? Would he appreciate it if he was all dressed up nicely? He was well aware that Aomine is not the one to care about fashion but he just wanted to look good. He was too excited and his frazzled nerves weren't allowing him to make a proper decision.

Aomine had informed to meet him at the Ikebukuro station via text. Although, he didn't informed him where they'll be going.

After sought some out thinking, Kise narrowed his choices down to three outfits from the huge collection-a black v-neck, a simple white shirt and an off-white shirt lined with thin horizontal sky blue lines. He cleared out his bed and organized his messy wardrobe in a jiffy. He stripped himself and tried the outfits on, posing in different angles and twirling millions of time in front of the mirror all the while clicking a bunch of selfies from every angle a human being could think of. He came to an easy decision after analysing his photos.

The off white shirt seemed to be the best option for him — he wore the outfit and smiled curtly, looking at the mirror. He decided to style it up by sporting an informal dark blue-almost-black jacket and rolled up the sleeves up to his elbow. He then wore a black skinny fit Levi's which hugged his legs perfectly, revealing the shape of his legs and ass. He brushed his hair quickly, to get rid of tangles or knots. He fashioned a deep red tag necklace and a wrist watch. He then proceeded to put on some of his cologne.

He twirled around in front of the mirror and seemed pretty happy with the appearance and checks himself out. _Simple and elegant and not flashy at all_ , he chimed. Yes, _so not_ flashy.

In the end, he decided to complete his outward appearance by wearing his basketball shoes — ready to play the sport whenever they wanted, which he expected to play.

He grabbed his phone, wallet and keys all ready to leave his apartment when a feminine voice called out.

"Where are you going all dressed up, Ryouta?" His sister eyed him from head to toe with eyebrows raised high and hands crossed over her chest. He glanced at her and pondered on for a moment — thinking of an appropriate response.

"I'm too dressed up?" He asked nonchalantly, looking down at his outfit whilst ignoring her actual question.

"Well, you look like you're going for a shoot."

"Damn!" He muttered mindlessly under his breath. He didn't mean to go all dolled up...okay, maybe he did. He simply wanted to look pretty for his date.

He shrugged off his sister's observation and didn't dwell on it.

"Just out with Kaijo friends. 'kay, bye!" He left immediately, not paying any heed to his sister's questions. If he had mentioned Aomine, he was sure his sister will get a wrong idea. Although, that is the _true_ idea.

He exhaled briefly as he slipped out of the apartment. A dazzling smile quickly plastered on his face. He walked towards the station and noticed girls looking at his direction - giggling, muttering some incoherent words within her group of friends. He beamed at them, waving his hand and the girls blushed in return, a wee bit blinded from the intensity of his aura for a moment.

He reached the station and caught the train. After a while he reached his destination - Ikebukuro. His heart began pounding when the bullet train's door opened, and he made a swift exit.

After reaching the entrance of the station, he phoned Aomine up. "Aominecchi, where are you?" He glanced around, trying to spot a familiar mop of cobalt blue hair. "At the entrance," He heard Aomine say. "I'm at the entrance too, I don't see you anywhere," He frantically looked around. Aomine chuckled into the call. "Look behind you, idiot." He turned around and saw him approaching, his heart instantly skipped a beat. A smile graced his face but his mouth almost entirely fell open at the delicious sight his eyes seem to be greeted with.

Golden eyes raked hotly over Aomine's figure. His boyfriend wore a simple black v-neck, rolled up to his elbow — the outfit fit him too perfectly, especially around the curve of his waist. The t-shirt revealed the curve of his collarbone which much to Kise's dismay went further to hide behind his clothes; it revealed the ripples of his taut abs underneath. The outfit was hugging his arms, revealing beautiful view of the outline of his biceps and his toned forearms. He wore a simple denim black jean and a watch adorned his wrist, the lining of his belt exposed from under his shirt and Kise gulped hard, having an intense urge to lick his lips. He's seen Aomine wear a v-neck before, but he always had that puffy jacket over it but never had he ever seen him in such attire. _Aominecchi can clean up after himself pretty good, if he wants to_ , Kise chimed to himself.

He exhaled briefly and his gaze settled into Aomine's eyes. "Yo!" The husky voice greeted him.

Kise blinked when he came face to face with his attractive face. "...Hie!" _Wait, did my voice came out squeaky?_ He cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Hi, Aominecchi!" He gave him a blinding smile, at which Aomine's eyes squinted a little.

"You look so frickin' cool, Aominecchi!" He exclaimed with a twinkle in his eyes.

Aomine's lips tugged upward into a cocky smirk and he let out a chuckle. " 'Course, I do." He gazed at Kise up and down. He noticed that Kise was dressed fashionably and looked extremely vibrant, so attractive that he had an urge to pull him into a hug and place a gentle kiss on his alluring lips. Instead he just chose to speak up, "You don't look too bad either."

Golden eyes almost rolled at the 'compliment'. "Really? Thank you so much, that's really nice to hear." Despite the sarcastic reply he threw at Aomine, he flashes a dazzling smile with closed eyes. Aomine's heart suddenly leapt with the warmth that spread through him from the onslaught of his gorgeous smile and in return, he couldn't help but smile back.

"Come on, let's go..."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see..." Came a vague reply and Kise trailed behind him, like a puppy with a huge grin on his face.

They made their way past the crowd, Aomine walked forward a tad, cutting through the crowd, and behind him, Kise eyed his figure and he didn't hesitate to bite his lower lip when he imprinted his broad shoulders into his memory. For a moment, he ogled at his broad back and thinks that Aomine would look sexier without a shirt on. Golden eyes wandered down and settled on his waist. He watched him with half-lidded eyes and a soft sigh escaped his lips. Aomine really is so attractive, Kise mused.

He suddenly caught a glimpse of something dangling alongside his waist. He squinted his eyes and came to an abrupt halt. "Oh my god, Aominecchi, you have a label hanging here!" At those words, Aomine turned his head sideways sharply and saw him trudging at a little piece of rectangular cardboard.

"A label? Goddammit!" He cursed all the gods up there and at himself for his own stupidity.

"Y-you," Kise's shoulders began shaking indicating an incoming laughter. "You forgot to remove the label? You mean you came all the way from Tokyo to Ikebukuro with a label dangling by your waist?"

Aomine saw his moments while Kise clutched at his stomach tightly and soon enough a saccharine laughter began bubbling out of his throat. "Pffft...bwahahaha, oh my god, Aominecchi," Kise's laughter grew in a higher octave and made it's sweet way into his heart. "You were just so cool," Another burst of laughter. "You were just so cool before and now...now, you look like such a dork!" His laughter rippled and spread out, tears gathered in his eyes and he struggled to keep his contagious laughter to himself.

Next to him, Aomine stood embarrassed with a slight blush on his cheeks. "Oi! Shut up!" But to his defiance, Kise couldn't stifle his laughter and he struggled to wipe the tears off of his eyes. The sound of his laughter resonated inside the tanned teen's head and was true music to his ears.

Aomine took a moment to revel in the honey-laced noise but he immediately grew too aware to his rising heartbeat and his flushing face. "I told you to shut up, Kise!" A quick frown settled on his features.

A while later, his laughter died down.

"Aominecchi~ did you wear new clothes just for me?" He cooed next to him, smirking.

"No, I didn't! I swear to god, I did _not_ do it for you!" He threw a defensive reply.

"Oh my god, stop! Just stop! I'm going to laugh again. You sound like Midorimacchi!" Kise had a strong urge to laugh again but he muffled it.

Aomine clicked his tongue. He heard another sugary giggle from his boyfriend and received a dazzling saccharine smile from him. "You are so adorable, Aominecchi!" Kise said. _The adorable one here is you_ , is what Aomine wanted to say but he held back his tongue, looking away.

"Here, I'll remove that label for you..." Kise ripped the label off of his jeans and Aomine jerked a little when he felt his hands on his waist.

Growing too annoyed with his oblivious attitude, Aomine grabbed Kise by his neck. "Geh! Aominecchi?" He ruffled the sun-coloured hair for a while, and quickly flung his arm around his shoulder.

Kise flinched for a moment when he felt his familiar, slight weight around him. He quickly revelled in the feeling and a small smile surfaces on his face.

"Come on, let's go..."

"But, where are we going?" Kise asked, his heart growing too warm.

"The Aquarium."

"Eh? Really? That's so cool, I've never been to an aquarium before!" He lit up in excitement and giggled, and Aomine's lips curled into a fond smile.

"Yeah, it's apparently called 'Sunshine Aquarium'." The name is too embarrassing, Aomine reckons. "We have to walk over there, you're okay with it, right?"

"Of course, I am! I can't wait!" Kise replied enthusiastically.

Aomine was happy that his impulsive last minute decision is paying off.

* * *

The day before, he racked his brains over the destination of their date. Many ideas crossed his mind that included — going to a movie but he refused that idea for he didn't want to be in front of a screen all the time where he wouldn't be able to have a decent conversation with Kise. He thought about going to a cafe but scratched that idea too thinking — _do people even go to cafes for dates?_ He also thought about going to Maji's but that occurred pretty lame to him. He definitely wasn't just going to play ball with Kise, they do that every time they meet.

None of the said ideas caught his interest. In the end he gave up and called the only one person who could offer him some useful help — Satsuki. After giving her the list of his refused ideas, he asked out of desperation — "what should I do?" She pondered for a moment and came up with an easy solution — "Take Ki-chan to an aquarium."

"That's such a clichéd idea, Satsuki." Aomine had responded.

"Well, cliché is your only option right now." Satsuki countered. "Besides, I think Ki-chan might like it."

Aomine had muttered some grumbles under his breath, saying how stupid it is and every other couple does that but he agreed in the end.

Momoi met up with him later and provided him detailed information about the entry fare along with a map.

While she was with him, she forcefully dragged him to the nearest clothing store to buy him some decent clothes for his date saying, "Dai-chan, you have to buy new clothes. You are not going to meet up with Ki-chan wearing some old and boring outdated ones!" To which he retorted, "God, Satsuki, he's not gonna care about it." Momoi glared at him. "I don't care, you're going on a date with a model and you're not going to look like an unkempt homeless person."

Aomine had resisted a whole lot because going to shopping with Satsuki Momoi is far worse than the world running out of Teriyaki burgers. She once took him to the mall to shop for clothes and he swore he didn't see the sunlight for nearly 7 hours. She lured him under the pretence of free lunch and ended up dragging him store to store, spending hours and hours within the clothing section, the shoe and accessories section, the purse section, and thousands of other outlets. That day was the first and last time he ever went to buy anything with her and made a personal vow to himself that he wouldn't ever do it (unless it was for Basketball shoes).

And now, she was hyped up, Aomine had almost panicked but came up with a quick solution.

"I would go on shopping with you on one condition, that is, you will only take me to one store-"

"But, Dai-chan, I-"

"Only one store Satsuki and I'll give you forty-five minutes at the max to actually search for clothes, selecting them and letting me try them out. Are we clear?" Momoi puffed out her cheeks but in the end she agreed. She managed to conduct all those tasks whilst accompanying her cantankerous childhood friend.

He tried out nearly 4 pair of jeans and 5 pair of shirts and, at last, a hot Aomine was morphed from an Aomine who always held a perfunctory attitude towards appearances. She knew if she couldn't pull this off then she didn't deserve to be called a manager.

She advised him to wear some cologne and asked whether he even had a decent one. He huffed and said he does. She also told him not to be an idiot and later bid him goodbye, Aomine rolled his eyes.

* * *

Aomine handed the map to Kise and asked for his help to figure out the way. They found out that, apparently, the aquarium was situated in a city called, "Sunshine City." They quickly managed to decipher the route and reached the destination in just ten minutes.

He glanced at Kise and at the aquarium, the Sunshine boy was accompanying him to a place called Sunshine city and they were about to enter Sunshine aquarium. He didn't know whether to feel ridiculed or was it all just co-incidental. He snorted at the odd ordeal.

"What is it, Aominecchi? What's so funny?"

"Heh! Nothing, nothing at all."

Kise tilted his head waiting for an answer, and Aomine thought he needed to stop doing that because he looks downright adorable whenever he does that little head tilt.

"Stay here, Kise. I'll be right back with the entry ticket." Aomine received a nod in reply.

The fare was a little expensive and Aomine's allowance was just slipping away but he knew it was really worth it. He returned and they both entered.

The place was utterly beautiful. The glass bowl body surrounded them and they found themselves captured in a beautiful hue of ocean-blue. Aomine and Kise's pupils were blown wide; they were stunned from the huge ocean-blue establishment in front of their eyes. And from somewhere far away, a soft tune of pleasant music soothed their ears.

Kise glanced at his date and couldn't help but think at how Aomine's own pair of ocean-blue eyes blended into the atmosphere. He reluctantly broke his eyes off of him and brought it to the beautiful structure that lay before him.

Numerous different species of fishes and aquatic animals swam gracefully in the body of water, the water splashed inside, and the sounds of the ripples reverberated in the aquarium.

The aquarium exhibited various creatures from the sea, the diversity and the splash of colours were enchanting. Each fish and aquatic creature elegantly added to the display. There were some exotic creatures, with different shapes and sizes were swimming in the water, some of them were pointed, some fluffed up, some too thin, some flat coupled with exhibition of countless other shapes. The vibrant exhibition conjoined with mesmerizing life inside the water body combined together to hypnotize the couple. The decoration at the bottom was beautifully crafted with plants, different types of corals, huge gravels and coloured stones and what not.

Aomine glanced around and noted that the area was mildly crowded; it was filled with groups of friends, young couples and families. He stole a glance at Kise and saw the starry eyed look he was currently doused in.

"Aominecchi, it's all so freaking beautiful!" Kise exclaimed with a wide smile on his face.

There was no comment, Aomine almost leaned in to press his lips against the Kise's but instead he chose to flick his forehead. "Geh! Aominecchi?!"

"Are we just going to stand here or are we actually going to go inside?"

Kise let out a little laugh and walked inside with him.

Blue and Honey-golden eyes stayed fixed on the disposition that lay and spread around them. Kise took a step forward and placed his palm against the glass, too mesmerized to comment on anything. His eyes settled on a beautiful body of a fish covered in purple stripes with slimy scales and its tail coloured with a bright shade of orange, it was rectangular in size and stretched too wide. His eyes followed another fish with red and yellow scales, its movements too languid and he found himself absolutely enamoured. His gaze then captured and followed every specie of aquatic animal exhibited and he was almost too lost in its beauty.

He suddenly stiffened when a tanned palm pressed against his own. And another hand came to press on his other side against the glass, Aomine had him trapped against the glass.

Kise felt the heat radiating off the body that was behind him. He lifted his eyes and blinked when he locked his gazes with deep-blue eyes. He looked at the reflection of Aomine through the glass. He stilled his breathing when there was a gentle squeeze on his palm.

"Is it beautiful?" Aomine asked, lightly pressing his body at Kise's back and kept his gaze locked on the reflection of the shimmering amber eyes.

"Uh...yes." His boyfriend managed to say.

"But not more than you..." Aomine worded out.

And he saw amber eyes widen.

 _Ah, Fuck!_ He gasped. He hadn't meant to say that, he was just thinking how beautiful Kise looked, with how enraptured he got, and he ended up voicing out his thoughts.

Kise's heartbeat sped up and his cheeks were dusted with a pretty hue of dark red, much similar to a tomato. He wanted to withdraw his hand for a moment from the overwhelming sensation. He felt dizzy from the unexpected praise and from his electrifying touch. It's not every day that Aomine Daiki complimented him.

They stayed like that for a while, bodies lightly pressed against each other, eyes gazing at each other into the reflection. They wanted to break free for a reason but couldn't bring themselves to.

Aomine quickly recovered from his own words, he was a bit embarrassed but a small smile graced his lips. He dragged both their palms down to their sides and interlaced their fingers together.

Kise blushed brightly at the act and the tip of his ears turned pink. His boyfriend was no better; his tanned cheek grew dark as they flushed.

"Come on, there's more to watch." Aomine tugged at his hand forward and his heartbeat skyrocketed when his palm was squeezed in return.

Kise's heart leapt and felt his chest grow warm with affection.

They strolled inside with their fingers locked together, the duo marvelled over different types of aquatic creatures. Both commented on how different each fish is. At times, they both gaped at the picturesque display of marine animals and sometimes laughed over the ridiculous shape of some, and at times they eyed the fishes eerily as some of them were weird in appearance while some were borderline creepy.

Golden eyes caught the sight of something and he dragged Aomine with him. "Aominecchi, look, look, there are so many _Nemos_ here!" He pointed at the glass and tapped it, showing a bunch of orange laced fish with thick white stripes, swimming together in harmony.

"What's a Nemo?" Aomine asked in confusion.

"Oh? You don't know? Nemo is a name of a fish in an animated Hollywood movie entitled - _'Finding Nemo'_." Kise answered, his eyes shifting between Aomine and the fishes.

"Oh, I don't know, haven't seen the movie."

"We should watch it together sometime."

Aomine didn't know what to say to that, he's not particularly fond of animated movies but if the blond wanted to watch it, he might comply.

"I'm not really a fan of animated movies."

Kise gasped in return, dramatically. "You-you don't like animated movies?! Oh my god, Aominecchi, you mean...I can't believe this. You have missed out so many great movies out there." He stared at him in mock disbelief. The ace just shrugged next to him.

"You like animated movies?"

"Yes, I do! There are great animated movies out there." Kise's lips quirked up in a smile.

"We should watch one together, like...Toy Story or Up or Wall-E. Oh my god, Aominecchi, we should watch Wall-E together!" His eyes sparkled and his smile grew wide in excitement.

"I don't know what this 'Wall-E' is that you talk about, but sure we can watch it together sometime." He accepted his offer with a smile.

Kise blushed and soon enough he flashed a smile of his own, almost blinding Aomine. "We should. You'll totally love it. It's a really cute movie."

Aomine had an intense urge to grab his stupid, pretty face and kiss it but he smiled instead and nodded.

"Do you even watch Hollywood movies? Kise asked.

Aomine denied with a shake of his head.

"I'm not good at English, Kise."

"You can watch the Japanese dub or sub ones."

Aomine just shrugged.

"What about Japanese movies?"

"Kise, let me tell you this, I was born with a Basketball in my hand. I've watched a few movies but I'm always too occupied with Basketball."

"Figures..." Kise said, huffing.

"But we have watched movies together when Kurokocchi came over to hang out at your place in middle school."

"Oh yes, I think those are the only movies I watched."

Kise stared at him for a while. Later, he goes on about telling him about different Hollywood movies and tells him that he's a huge fan of Star Wars. He tells him, he would make him watch different movies with him, at which Aomine smiled again.

That was the time Aomine discovered that Kise loves watching movies and Kise found out that Aomine isn't really interested in anything but Basketball. (And Kise)

"Now getting back to this Nemo fish, do you even know what breed it is?"

"Ah, I think it's a clownfish."

Aomine scowled. "Is that why this fish looks so creepy? Because it has the word 'clown' in it?"

"What? It doesn't look creepy! It's cute!" Kise puffed his cheeks. "And just because it has the word 'clown' in it, it makes it creepy?"

"'Course, clowns are creepy, Kise."

"Oh my god, are you afraid of clowns?"

"What the hell? No, I am not." He scrunches up his face.

"Haha...Aominecchi is so cute, you're afraid of clowns!"

Aomine swore if he had a basketball in his hand, it would be hitting a certain blond head right about now. As a substitute, he flicked his forehead. "Ow! Aominecchi! Stop flicking my forehead!" Kise winced and rubbed his itchy forehead.

"I'll stop if you'll stop being an idiot." Aomine laughed.

"Don't call me an idiot, you idiot!" He lips circled in an adorable pout. And that made Aomine really want to grab his annoying face and plant kisses all over it.

With a childish jut of his tongue, Kise mocked him. Aomine found himself smirking at his cute ministrations.

They walked further, somewhere along the ways they happened to unlace their fingers and now that their fingers brushed together, Kise wanted nothing more than to entwine them again. He brushed his little finger against Aomine's but quickly retracted it. He glanced at Aomine, and thought he didn't seem to notice the little contact. He nearly brushed all of his fingers against his, when he was about to retract them, Aomine held his palm. "Idiot, if you want to hold my hand then do so. _Baka_ Kise." Kise smiled awkwardly at him but laced his fingers around his. His cheeks turned pink making Aomine want to pinch them.

Kise turned to right and came face to face with a Penguin section and his jaw fell open with the sight that lay before him. Penguins strolling around and trying to eat fishes nearly melted his heart.

He trudged Aomine forward, albeit forcefully, and Aomine stumbled forward a tad. "What the hell, Kise?"

"Look! There are even penguins here! They are feeding the penguins with fishes, aren't they so cute? Ne, ne, Aominecchi, let's go in there! We have to!" He gushed.

"Kise, calm down and what's with all the excitement over some penguins?" Aomine scoffed.

"What's wrong with Penguins?" He crossed his hands over his chest.

"Nothing much, they look kind of stupid and dumb." Aomine commented.

Kise looked at him unimpressively with deadpan eyes which were enough to rival Kuroko's deadpan stare. "Now, you're thinking of their IQ levels?"

"It's just...they look kinda dumb with their wobbly feet and they are birds aren't they? But they can't even fly!"

Blond eyebrows rose in surprise. "Wow, Aominecchi you know that Penguins are birds? I never even thought that you might be knowledgeable about this." He snickered with a tinge of mockery.

And Kise received a swift chop on his head. "Ouch! Aominecchi, you big bully!"

"Don't get all condescending on me." Aomine countered.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you know the word 'condescending'!" Kise gasped and quipped. Aomine grabbed him in a playful headlock and ruffled his hair roughly. "You little brat, aren't you making too much fun of me today?"

Kise giggled vocally within his hold and looked up at him through his thick lashes. "That's because you're so cute, Aominecchi."

Aomine locked gazes with amber orbs underneath him. _Damn_ , how is he supposed to resist that adorable face? He bent down a little and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

With surprise, Kise stared at him. "Aominecchi, I told you, we shouldn't kiss in public!" He whined. "And there are actually people here."

"Hah! That's your punishment for making fun of me. Now for every single joke, I'll kiss you no matter where we are." Aomine arched his eyebrow with a mischievous grin.

Kise pouted again and shook his head at the silly comment.

Aomine held out his hand, "Come on," and Kise grabbed it. He led the way inside the little penguin sanctuary. They were instructed by the officials to wear a waterproof coat and the gloves offered by the authorities. The couple accepted and wore it. They entered while stepping carefully around the rocks placed around them. They were offered a bunch of fish in a bucket to feed the penguins.

"Aren't they cute?" Kise asked, bending down to sit in a comfortable position and fed one of the fishes to a penguin.

"They have wobbly feet, blondie." Aomine teased.

There was a heavy roll of amber eyes, at the comment. "You know, when a male penguin falls in love with a female penguin, he searches for the smoothest and roundest pebble as a proposal to her. Isn't that sweet and romantic?"

Aomine huffed in non-acceptance. "Now, that isn't true at all." While feeding one of the penguins.

"It is! It is true!" Kise insisted with a pout.

Aomine shook his head as they both fed the penguins. He glanced at Kise and saw a smile on his lips as he giggled when a penguin took a bite of a fish from his hand.

"Well, I guess...it is kind of cute." He muttered in a low voice, his eyes fixated on the teen next to him.

Kise turned to look at him. "See, I told you!" He smiled brightly.

And damn did Aomine wanted Kise to make fun of him again just so he could kiss those pretty lips one more time. But he opted to heave a sigh.

Every time a penguin ate out of Kise's hand, his giggles reached to tickle Aomine's ears. He discovered that he would never find himself getting tired of his giggles and laughs; they are just lovely and incredibly sweet.

Aomine then held out a large fish, dangling in front of a penguin and watched it struggle to eat a small bite of it as it leaned upwards. "Really, Aominecchi, now you're even bullying an innocent penguin?" Kise heard a little laugh in response. "But hey, I'm enjoying right?" Aomine said. And Kise blinked and flashed a usual thousand watt smile.

Aomine's heart skipped a beat. _Damn. this idiot,_ he thought.

They fed the penguins for a while and were finished soon enough. They removed the coats and gloves, and returned them to the officials. Soon, they left the area and proceeded further.

As they made their way around the aquarium in wonderment gazing at various type of aquatic fishes-they spotted jellyfishes, stingrays and in separate glass bowls they spotted sunfish, in another glass covered structure they found snakes and the blond nearly yelped.

"Snakes are creepy." Kise commented.

"I agree but some of them are beautiful." He heard Aomine say.

"You-you like snakes?"

"Not particularly, I can look at them through glass where I know they aren't slithering across the ground towards me to just look for a chance to come and attack me."

The sentence made Kise giggle again.

They passed through the glass aquarium and came out in open air. Kise quickly spotted another section where a Dolphin show was going on. He dragged Aomine to the stands exclaiming, "Aominecchi, we have found our next spot!" His eyes sparkled again and Aomine let him take the lead.

After the reaching up to the stands, the duo enjoyed the show as the instructors within the water body cooperated with Dolphins, playing and showing tricks with balls, balancing an entire Dolphin on the top of a ball, making the mammals pass through several hoops.

Kise glanced at Aomine to see whether he's enjoying the date and what he saw didn't disappoint him. Blue eyes followed the mammals movements with interest and looked amazed. A surge of affection flooded his chest and he wanted to entwine their fingers again.

After the show was over, Kise petted the mammal on his nose and Aomine just couldn't keep his eyes off of Kise who had a lovely expression on his face.

After the Dolphin show, they came across Sea lions and they watched the mammal from afar where they were divided by a fence.

Soon enough, their aquarium tour came to an end.

They exited the establishment and sat down to eat in a nearby restaurant. Kise scanned through the menu trying to decide what to order. "I think I'll have Ramen, I haven't had it in a long time." His eyes roamed through other items in a jiffy. "Yup, I'll definitely have Tonkutsu Ramen."

Aomine himself couldn't decide what to order. He only wished they'd serve Teriyaki burgers. He sighed and decided to eat the same dish which Kise decided to order. "I'll have the same then."

A female waiter approached them. "Hello, I'm Sayuri. May I take your order?" Her eyes instantly fell on Kise.

Kise looked up to face the host. "Hello!" And greeted her with a smile.

"I'll take Tonkutsu Ramen and Aominecchi will have the same." He said, glancing at his boyfriend and smiling brightly, causing the girl to blush dark red. "Uh...y-yes." She cleared her throat and eyed his sitting figure, up and down, rather appreciatively.

Aomine glanced back and forth between Kise and the girl; he instantly noticed the way she was looking at him. A vein was about to pop on his forehead. "Yes. Your order will arrive in ten minutes." She flashed a smile of her own. "Do you need anything else?" She asked, with a smirk on her face. Aomine could see her eyes darken with mischievous anticipation.

"No, nothing. That's it. We don't need anything else." Aomine spoke loudly and abruptly, making the girl aware of his presence.

The girl nodded, and left glancing at Kise, batting her lashes noticeably. Aomine's eyes twitched and he could see the intentional sway of her hips as she walked away.

"What the hell was that?"

"What the hell was what?"

"She was totally flirting with you, Kise."

"No, she wasn't."

"Yes, she was."

"What are you talking about? She was just being nice, Aominecchi."

"Being nice, my ass! She was totally ogling at you."

"Oh well, girls have always liked me. They can't resist my charms!" Kise winked at him and Aomine reached up to his face to flick his forehead again. "Ouch! Aominecchi!" He exclaimed.

Aomine chuckled.

After a couple of minutes, Kise's foot slightly grazed Aomine's and upon seeing his indifference he chose to stay like that, his foot slightly touching his. He wondered if he could tell the intentional touch.

And Aomine could tell, but chose to stay mum about it.

They talked about trivial things while they were waiting.

The girl returned and placed the bowls in front of them. "Enjoy your meal." She grinned at Kise but left soon, not sparing a glance at Aomine. _If only all her customers were this gorgeous_ , she thought.

Aomine flinched a little but let it slide when he saw Kise eyeing his food, hungrily.

The dish was beautifully served and looked delicious with pieces of sliced Pork dipped in Chicken broth. It consisted of fried Garlic, Spring Onion, Ramen, Ajitsuke Tamago and Chashu along with other ingredients.

"Itadakimasu." Kise exclaimed after snapping his chopsticks in two parts. He took a bite of his sliced pork and let out a pleased humming sound. "Hmmm~ This tastes delicious, Aominecchi. So good~"

Aomine's ears perked up and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He began eating his own share of the meal. "Y-yeah..." He mumbled under his breath.

" _Hmmm..._ This is really so delicious; I should start having Ramen more. It's so soft and juicy; it's like melting in my mouth..." He lets out another humming sound which resonated inside the tanned teen's brain.

 _Does this brat have to moan every time he eats something? Fuckin' tease._

Aomine had an urge to flick his forehead again.

What he didn't know was that, Kise was watching him intently. He watched Aomine picking up pieces of his food with his chopsticks and bringing them to his lips. He watched him chew his food and gulping it down. His Adam's apple bobbed irresistibly. Kise breathed out, softly. Aomine picked up a glass of water and drank a few gulps of it — sloppily; the liquid cascaded down, from the corner of his mouth to trail down his chin to his neck, later disappearing into his shirt. His sun-kissed skin looked really rich, glistening with just a single stream of water. For a moment, Kise wanted to trace his tongue where the liquid was gracefully subsiding on his neck. He couldn't bring himself to look away from the sensual sight.

Kise deliberately shifted a bit forward in his seat and his knee brushed against Aomine's. He stole a glance at him. He shifted again, resting his knee heavily, against his.

Aomine gritted his teeth. _Definitely a tease._

He locked gazes with Kise and saw a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. _Definitely on purpose._

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Kise asked, clearly feigning innocence.

"Nope! Everything's great." Aomine stated.

Kise's lips tugged upwards into a smirk.

And Aomine pursed his lips together, he was really close to losing his shit. He gulped heavily and looked back at his Ramen bowl.

Thankfully, they enjoyed their meal in silence later.

Near the end, Aomine heard him slurping his noodles and a wave of nostalgia washed over him. He remembered he made Kise lose his appetite once when they were in Teiko by making a joke. He took this chance to bully him again.

"Oi, Kise..."

"Hm?" Amber eyes looked at him.

Aomine leaned forward and rested his chin on his palm, atop the table. "Those noodles...they look like long slimy earthworms."

Kise choked loudly on his food, and he struggled to swallow every bit of it. His throat stayed lodged up and he thumped it hardly. He hastily grabbed a glass of water next to him and drank it in a go.

Aomine bursted out laughing, like a madman. "Man, you should have seen your face! That looked so priceless!"

"Aominecchi, that's not funny! You know how much I hate earthworms! They are disgusting and gross. I can't believe you pulled off the same joke as you did in middle school." Kise glared daggers at him.

But Aomine just couldn't restrain his laughter.

"That's it! I'm done! My appetite is lost now just like it did back then. Are you happy now?!"

Aomine's laughter died down in little breaths of air, letting out some chuckles.

"I'm not gonna apologize for this 'cuz this was really funny!"

Kise bolted up from his seat in anger while Aomine hurriedly paid at the counter itself. He sprinted towards Kise and caught him by his wrist. "Oi, oi, don't be so mad. It was just a joke, princess~" He pulled him against his back.

"What the hell? Don't call me princess!" Kise elbowed him lightly on his belly.

"Then how about pretty boy?"

Amber eyes glared at him from behind.

Aomine let out a husky soft and low laugh in his ear. Kise blinked and suddenly felt pleasant shivers originating from his ears. He felt his muscled torso and leaned backwards.

"You know, Kise..." Aomine began, "I didn't like it when that girl flirted with you." He whispered, and Kise sighed in a daze, almost closing his eyes.

"I can't stand anybody looking at you that way." His breath tickled Kise's ears and the nape of his neck.

"I really can't..." He gently squeezed his wrist.

"Only I can do that, only I can look at you like that."

"Only I can~" Aomine purred in his ears and deliberately blew air on his neck.

 _'Oh god...'_ Kise almost moaned at the act. His knees nearly gave out from the sultry voice, and at the fervent words. Aomine's seductive voice was enough of a motivation for the acceleration of his heart beat. He bit his lower lip harshly while his cheeks were flushed with a crimson red.

Aomine flung his arm around Kise's shoulder. He was oblivious of his date's body heating up and his fast heart beats.

Pleasant shivers jolted up and down Kise's spine and he leaned in to feel the heat of his body more intensely. He heaved a sigh again, long and soft.

* * *

After a while, they came near a Popsicle parlour. "Aominecchi, let's eat an ice cream! We hadn't had it since that one time you bought me the Chocolate Banana Popsicle, buy me that if it's available here."

"NO! WE CAN'T HAVE THAT!" Aomine exclaimed abruptly and loudly. An embarrassing memory wormed its way into his brain and he feared of the repetition of that incident which rendered him into a hot mess. The people around them looked at his direction.

Aomine cleared his throat. "Uh, I mean, we shouldn't eat ice cream."

"What? Aominecchi, why not? First, you ruined my Ramen, which by the way was really delicious, and now you're refusing for a mere Popsicle? 'Come on, it's just a dessert." He whined.

 _It's not just a mere popsicle, not_ just _a dessert._ Aomine thought.

"Umm, for a change how about we try something different?" He tried to steer Kise's mind.

"Like What?" Kise asked.

"Okay, let me think..." Aomine pondered for a moment, _there's gotta be something other than Popsicle around here_.

"Okay, you just wait here and I'll be right back..."

"Wait, where are you going? I'll come with you, Ao-"

"You wait right here, Kise and don't go buying a Popsicle."

"I'm not a kid, Aominecchi. I won't just go wander off."

"Good kid." There was another forehead flick and Kise flinched again, "Ahominecchi!"

He saw Aomine enter the Popsicle shop and wondered what the hell is he exactly doing.

While he was staring at his boyfriend's direction, a group of girls approached him.

"O-oh my god...A-are you Kise Ryouta?" One of them asked. "We saw you before, in the aquarium." Another girl added.

 _Oh, no. Not now_. He glanced around but wasn't able to spot Aomine anywhere. "Uh...um, yes." He stammered.

"We are all huge fans of you, could you sign us some autographs?" A girl asked brightly, holding out a pen and a paper. He signed it with a smile on his face.

"Are you here alone? You can hang out with us, if you want to!" One of them spoke up and she quickly wrapped her arm around Kise's. And the model just knew she is one of the aggressive ones. Cue to his thought, the girl pressed her breasts against his arm.

 _She saw me in the aquarium before; didn't she notice I was with Aominecchi?!_ Kise was perplexed _._

His thoughts were interrupted when another girl spoke up, "We can hang out together and also click some photos together. It will be so much fun!" She smiled.

Aomine was approaching the blond, his eyes laid upon a bunch of girls crowding and fawning over Kise. _What the fuck?_ Several veins popped on his temples, upon seeing a girl clinging onto Kise's arm, her breasts squishing and pressing against him. _Oh, hell no._

"Do you have a girlfriend? Can we have your number? We can hang out together." One of the girls said.

The model is used to handling fangirls but now isn't the time he wanted to deal with them. He was on a date and he feared this little incident might become a big issue if everybody around him realized he's a celebrity.

The girls began giggling and asking him various questions, insisting him to accompany them. He wanted to run away somewhere; he couldn't afford to be the center of attention in the middle of a crowded area.

He suddenly flinched when an arm sneaked around his waist and pulled him back from the little crowd. The other girl had to let go of the model's arm. He felt a familiar bump of a toned chest against his back.

"Ah, sorry to disappoint you ladies..." Aomine's warm breath ghosted over Kise's ear. He leaned and rested his cheek against the sun-coloured hair. "But, you see...Kise Ryouta is taken." Golden eyes widened when he heard what the seductive voice had just said. He blinked as he felt fingers drumming against the curve of his waist.

"By me..." Aomine added, encircling his arm around his waist, and tightened his hold. "Right, babe?" He planted a kiss on the blond head and pressed his body firmly against his. "I...Aominecchi...?" Kise froze and a shiver ran down his spine. He felt a strong and warm press of Aomine's body against his back.

Aomine chuckled darkly when he saw the girls blush and gasp altogether.

"Aominecchi, what are you-" He began.

"Let's go, Kise." Aomine grabbed his wrist and dragged him, ignoring the group of girls who stood frozen, shocked.

The taller teen sprinted past the crowd and glanced around.

"I left you alone for two minutes and there you go, attracting attention, brewing trouble."

"Aominecchi?" Kise called out his name, he was still reeling from the shock, shock from the way Aomine held him in front of his fans - affectionately. He shook his head and said, "Then maybe you shouldn't have left me there!" A pout appeared on his face.

Aomine chuckled. "Hah! Yeah, I really shouldn't have."

"Where are we going?" Kise asked as he was being dragged around.

"Somewhere where we can be alone..." Aomine tightened his hold on his pale wrist.

* * *

(Tbc)


	17. First Date: Part Two

"W-where are we going?" Kise asked, surprised as he was being dragged around.

"Somewhere where we can be _alone_..." Aomine tightened his hold on Kise's pale wrist, not wanting to let go of him.

A blush crept up on Kise's face. "Somewhere where we can be alone?" He muttered Aomine's words as he noticed him glancing around.

"Aominecchi, do you even know where we are actually going?" His heart pummelled in his chest as the grip on his wrist remained tight.

Aomine simply hummed and dragged him to a secluded place after walking for a while. He ended up finding a narrow passageway between buildings, with trees lined up alongside the wall. He was relieved when he spotted no one in the odd place.

Coming around a corner - almost a dead end, Aomine manoeuvred Kise towards him. "This place looks fine, Kise. We can be here for a while. It's quiet in here too." He glanced at Kise and noticed he was fidgeting. Kise grew nervous as he realized the severity of this particular situation.

Aomine sighed, running his fingers across his hair.

He quickly pushed Kise up against the wall and instantly placed his forearm above the blond head, against the surface of the wall. " _Kise..._ " He drawled, leaning closer. His eyes settled at his full lips and brought his gaze upwards to meet honey golden eyes which were wide and glued onto him. Kise's heart was palpitating rapidly and he feared whether it would just pop out of his chest.

Kise swallowed thickly meeting deep blue eyes. "Aominecchi?" He murmured, holding his breath. _What is with this all too sudden development?_

Their faces were inches apart and Aomine's lips hovered over Kise's. _Is he going to kiss me? Is he going to touch me?_ Kise wondered with heavy anticipation. He realized soon his breathing had become erratic and he inched closer to Aomine, wanting to feel his body heat closer to his own.

Deep blue eyes darkened. And Kise was gradually getting sucked into the enthralling waves of ocean-blue hue in front of him. They gazed at each other for god knows how long; neither of them blinked nor looked away.

"You know, Kise..." Aomine broke the silence, balling his fist above Kise's head. He felt a whirlwind of emotions within him — affection, love, fondness, possessiveness, fascination mixed with desire, and he couldn't help but lean closer towards him just like Kise did a while ago. "You drive me fuckin' crazy." He voiced, exhaling heavily.

Maybe Kise will never know that with every breath he takes, he drove Aomine crazy. Whenever he smiles, Aomine's head spins. Whenever he looks at Aomine, he hypnotizes him. Whenever he touches Aomine, Aomine feels like his control is slipping away. Like he's warped Aomine under his spell but Aomine never wants to break free from it.

"I...I-" Kise stammered, pursing his lips together.

"Do you have _any_ idea what you do to me? Aomine stared into his eyes. He brought down his fingers to rest alongside his waist.

Kise quivered, feeling his feather-light touches. He caught a whiff of Aomine's musky scent, soon enough a pleasant shiver ran over him which rendered him light-headed, almost dizzy. "I..." He breathed in and struggled to talk coherently. The particular scent was intoxicating and it seemed to draw him more and more towards Aomine.

Shutting his eyes tight, unintentionally, Kise found his head filled with Aomine - his voice, his touch, his eyes, his skin, his smile, his scent — his entire existence.

"No, babe, don't do that." Aomine tipped his head up. "Don't shut them up, keep your pretty eyes on me."

Kise's stomach did a fluttery flip-flop and he squeezed his eyes firmly before opening them and saw Aomine leaning dangerously close to him. He shuddered at the close proximity, realizing Aomine was looking at him the same way he looks when he seals their lips together. And Kise desperately wondered when they were going to kiss.

Amber eyes were hypnotizing Aomine. He was beginning to get lost at the view that seemed like a soft luster of gold coated with liquid glistening honey. Everything around Aomine came to a dull void and his mind and heart began betraying him.

"You have _no_ idea how lovely you are." Aomine breathed. His hazy mind registered a slight detail where he saw the amber pair of orbs gape at him, to a certain degree.

Kise stood frozen on the spot, under Aomine and he couldn't believe what he just heard. He really feared for his heart now, it beat too loudly and the sound rang in his ears and he wondered if it was normal. He became too embarrassed and shifted his eyes away from Aomine.

He parted his lips to talk, "Aominecchi, I-I..." Kise swallowed, not meeting his piercing gaze.

"Aominecchi...y-you know, I'm a model, and I'm usually very confident and very much used to receiving compliments from people but then you...you come around..." He paused, feeling his heart thudding, the very core of it trembling, "But then you come around...and you make me feel _so_ shy."

Aomine's eyes widened, he felt something strong stir up within him.

"You make me feel so shy and I want to run away from you but at the same time I don't want to leave you, Aominecchi. So, I could say — you drive me crazy too..." Kise pursed his lips tightly together. He was too afraid to see Aomine's reaction while his face was getting too hot. He covered his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Ah, Fuck! No, don't do that..." Aomine grabbed his wrists and pinned them against his sides. Golden eyes were looking away but his entire face was beet red, up to his ears and Aomine's heart and body vibrated with desire. "Don't do that to me, Kise. Don't turn me on right now. You can't just seduce me like that."

"Whaa..S-seduce? I'm not seducing you." Kise glanced at him and saw blue eyes darken with _desire_. Kise felt his body heating up with the intense and piercing stare.

"Yes, Kise. You do, you do seduce me and you make me want to lose my control." Aomine stated bluntly.

"Aominecchi..." Kise wasn't able to hold on to any of his thoughts. He closed his eyes and leaned closer to press his lips against his but was met with disappointment; realizing Aomine had leaned back. "Wha...Aominecchi?"

"It's written all over your face that you wanna kiss me, _babe_." Aomine chuckled.

Kise liked the new nickname and although it made his heart race, he couldn't help but wonder why Aomine pulled back.

Aomine's lips curled upwards in a smirk and soon a little frown appeared on Kise's face.

"Well, if you do want to kiss me..." Aomine pressed his body slightly against his. He let him feel his heart vibrating loudly in his chest. "Then..." He faintly brushed his lips against Kise's and saw him tremble with need. "Then tell me you like me."

With sharp intake of air, Kise inched closer. "I..I like you." Aomine gritted his teeth and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Say it again, Kise." He breathed, against the plump lips. "I like you, Aominecchi." Another chaste kiss. "Again." He demanded. "I like you." Another soft brush of lips. "Again." Kise threw his arms around his neck, almost frustrated and desperation now sinking into his very bones. "I like you, I like you, I like you a whole lot, Aominecchi. So please...please I wanna kiss you properly. Don't make me wait anymore." He pleaded and saw Aomine's restraint snap.

Aomine mashed their lips together immediately. His arms slid behind to rest on his waist. Their pressed lips collided and tongues slipped into each other's mouths. "Fuck!" Aomine growled in between kisses and pressed his body against his. Tongues danced together, swirling in rhythm, rendering them dizzy.

Pushing Kise back into the wall, Aomine began devouring the taste of his mouth while Kise did the same with his. The kiss grew heated as Kise delved his tongue deeper into his mouth. Kise's fingers traced upwards to tangle themselves in short blue hair. He caressed the soft strands of his hair and pulled Aomine closer to his body.

The kiss was frenzied as teeth clashed together and they kissed hysterically. Aomine groaned a tad when Kise broke the kiss lightly, only to find out that he began to nibble at his lower lip, biting the flesh softly in between his teeth. Kise placed some close mouthed kisses on his lips and slid his tongue in again. He swirled his tongue around Aomine's and his fingers traced downwards to feel his neck and then went back up to cup his cheeks. He pulled away from Aomine but kept his lips close to his. "Damn it! How the hell are you such a great kisser?!" Aomine was left breathless. Kise giggled, arching his back. "I could ask the same of you."

With an upward tug of his lips, Aomine leaned forward to capture his warm and delicious mouth again. He gladly parted his lips for the foreign tongue to enter. Aomine ran his hands over his back, his sides and his waist and he felt Kise's body stiffening under the contact.

The press of his rough fingers against his back and the gentle caresses through his clothes made Kise shiver uncontrollably as the electrifying touch spread across him.

Kise hooked his leg to Aomine's hip, bringing his body even closer. Aomine's hands dropped down and he gripped his thigh. His fingers roamed across it, and he dug them in through his clothed flesh. His fingers travelled upwards and he grabbed his hips. _Fuck_ , he was touching him, intimately and Aomine doubted whether this situation is real.

Kise almost wrapped his leg around his waist and he stood on one leg and felt his body lifting up mildly, from the way Aomine held him. Aomine's body was so _hot_ , so _feverish_ ; he feared he would melt right away.

"Fuck! Kise...Shit! Dammit!" Aomine let out a guttural sound between the kisses. He broke the kiss and moved downwards to plant some on his jaw. Kise gasped and nearly toppled when he felt the moist lips on him, slowly trailing down to his neck. Tilting his head to allow access to his neck, Kise's necklace came into Aomine's view and way; Aomine instantly removed it over his head and slipped it inside his own pocket, spontaneously. He began peppering kisses to his chin and travelled downwards to his neck. He trailed down and started to shower kisses on his collarbone. He nipped at the bony flesh, catching it in between his lips, sucking on the area vigorously, and marring his skin with red spots.

Kise threaded his fingers in Aomine's hair again; he caressed the soft tucks of his hair and pushed his head closer to his, desperately trying to feel more of his touch and kisses, his skin tingled and goose bumps arose on his body. Panting heavily, he bit his lower lip and was sure it will be swollen red from the previous bruising kisses and the current abuse.

As moist lips continued to kiss him, soft breaths and pants escaped Kise's lips. He bit his lower lip rather harshly again, as a moan threatened to pass through. He trembled every time his skin came in contact with full lips and hot breaths of Aomine's. Kise placed his hands on his shoulder blades and clutched them tightly.

"Babe...You're trembling." Aomine chuckled, chuckled so deep against his ear that the noise caressed, sunk and vibrated deep into his body causing him to shiver violently. Kissing the pale flesh of his neck fervently, leaving a bunch of hickeys on his neck, Aomine slid Kise's jacket down to his elbows. He gingerly slid his shirt away from his neck exposing the porcelain skin of his shoulder. He let out an animalistic groan in the back of his throat when he saw the pale, unmarked and tempting flesh.

He dipped his head in the crook of his shoulder and neck and attacked the area with nips and began sucking on the milky patch of skin. His lips travelled towards his shoulder. Aomine lapped and sucked at every individual spot, and soon enough the area was marked with red and purple hickeys. His tongue proceeded to move back to his pale neck and trailed it up, licking his throat. He pressed his body intimately to his. His heart was spiralling out of control as he felt Kise's warm body firmly against his.

The wet trail on his neck made Kise nearly dug his nails painfully in Aomine's shoulder. Aomine slipped his hands inside Kise's shirt and almost pulled it over his stomach. He almost skimmed his palms over his taut muscles when Kise let out a wanton moan. "Ahh, A-Aominecchi...Fuck...I-" His voice came out in a hush and a hard yet soft purr.

Aomine's eyes shot open. Breaking out of his trance, he quickly pulled away from Kise. He grunted as the deep whisper of his name and Kise's voice brought him back to reality. If he were to continue further, he was sure there wouldn't be just bruising kisses or hickeys on his neck. He wouldn't be able to handle it and they would cross a certain line and Aomine sure as hell didn't want to do more than that in just some stupid passageway, not like this.

Aomine's shoulders heaved and slumped down as he panted.

Kise, himself, groaned when he felt Aomine's warmth leaving his body. "Aominecchi, why did you st-"

"Don't finish that sentence Kise," came Aomine's grunted response. He heaved a sigh, long and loud. "I...I just...I wouldn't be able to..." He bit his lips not speaking further and he heard Kise letting out a whimper.

Aomine brought his gaze at Kise and the sight he was greeted with was not good for his heart. Kise was panting, breathing through his mouth. He was breathless with cheeks and ears tinted with a lovely scarlet red. His lips were trembling and his chest heaved rapidly. His brows were knitted and molten golden eyes were draped in a darker shade of gold. He watched Aomine with half-lidded eyes — fervently. _He is just too irresistible._

Aomine braced himself against the wall by placing his palms against Kise's sides. "Damn it, just please...please don't look at me like that." He almost pleaded and furrowed his brows with a longing ache.

"Wha...Like what?" His boyfriend asked, still reeling from the emotions and the remains of burning sensations flowing through his body.

"Like...Like, you just can't wait for me to touch you even more, Kise. Like you want me break every shred of my restraint." He fisted his palm against the wall, trying to suppress the surge of lustful emotions within him.

"If...if you continue to look at me like that, you'll come undone _right now_. Right here, under me and I won't be able to stop myself." Aomine ran his fingers across his hair, trying to calm himself. He wondered how long he would be able to hold out.

"I..." Kise began but got stuck, finding no words to leave his throat. He wasn't thinking...not just yet.

Blue eyes caught a sight of his swollen lips and red bruises which stood out on his pale skin and a possessive streak ran within him. He exhaled.

Tracing the red spots possessively yet gently, Aomine began counting the marks on the curve of his neck, 1...2...3... His fingers trailed to his collarbone and continued, 4...5...6... His eyes scanned his exposed shoulder, 7...8... He gazed up at Kise and gulped thickly.

"Kise, you have to remember you're mine now." Amber eyes stared at him. "Completely and solely mine, these marks on your neck and your swollen red lips are a proof of it. I've marked you as mine."

"I'm completely _yours_ now..." Kise concurred hazily, wetting his lips.

 _Fuck!_ Aomine only wished those marks would never fade away. He placed his palm on Kise's eyes, making his lids flutter close and leaned down to rest his head on Kise's forehead. "Just be like this for a while...Let me stay like this until I calm down."

Humming in response, he felt Aomine's warm palm trembling against his eyelids, the press of his forehead and the heavy rise and fall of his chest. He realized he had to calm down too.

As much as Aomine was willing to ravish Kise on the spot, he would rather do it on his bed, with no fear of getting caught or even interrupted. And surprisingly enough, he wanted to take things slow. He wanted to actually spend some time with Kise, and when Kise had conveyed and given his consent, he would move further. He didn't want his boyfriend to just go with the flow. And he wondered how much Kise knew about having sex with someone of the same sex.

After a while, taking some deep breaths, they did manage to calm themselves. Aomine then reluctantly pulled away from him. He put some distance between them and grumbled at his own action.

He gazed at Kise up and down, his clothes seemed dishevelled, his hair was faintly tousled, his lips were red, and his face was flushed. A feeling of greed ran over him. "Kise, we have to leave this place _now_. Can't bear to stay here anymore. I'll end up devouring you or some shit like that." He smirked.

Kise blinked rapidly and shook his head, coming back to his senses. Aomine looked away as Kise rearranged his clothes; he rode his jacket up which rested on his shoulder perfectly and brushed his fingers through his hair, in order to look like he hadn't just almost lost his sanity to bruising kisses and insane touches.

By the time Aomine glanced at Kise, Kise looked presentable again to go outside in public. He heaved a sigh in relief.

 _This guy is fuckin' dangerous..._ Aomine noted to himself, clenching his jaw.

They left the place and stepped into the hustle bustle of the city again. Heavy silence surrounded them and neither dared to break it. Occasionally their fingers brushed each other and every time that happened, Aomine and Kise, both, retracted their fingers to their sides. A spark of electricity ran every time and Aomine was cautious not to brush his fingers against his and so was Kise.

* * *

After walking for a while, Kise glanced at Aomine. He had no idea what he was thinking and decided to break the ice. "Aominecchi?"

Aomine side-glanced him with raised brows. "Hm?"

"B-before, when my fans swamped around me, where did you go?"

Aomine blinked at the question and a curt smile graced his face. "Oh, I completely forgot about that." He almost placed his palm on his face. "I came to know that there is a famous Crêpe shop nearby, I thought we can go there to eat one."

"Oh? That's a great idea." Kise chirped and lit up in excitement. _His excitement over such things is really endearing_ , Aomine thought.

"It's somewhere here, we have to take a right from the intersection ahead and the shop is huge so it's noticeable." The tanned teen said. Kise smiled in return at looked forward.

Aomine was glad; the atmosphere around them was at ease now.

They reached the shop in a couple of minutes and Kise scanned through the menu of Crêpes. "I'll have a Pineapple one with Caramel as the topping!" He chimed in. Aomine ordered a Chocolate Almond Crêpe for himself.

They began munching on the snack. "It tastes nice." Kise commented after taking a few bites. "So does mine." Aomine responded.

Kise glued his eyes on Aomine's Crêpe. "Let me have a bite of yours." Aomine glanced at him and offered the snack. After taking a bite, Aomine took a bite off of Kise's Crêpe.

They exchanged unsure looks at each other and looked back at their own Crêpes.

"Yours taste better, Aominecchi." Kise lamented with a petulant pout.

"And yours tastes better than mine."

"Wanna exchange?" Kise asked.

"Sure." Aomine agreed.

After exchanging and eating some bites out of it, Kise spoke up, "So tell me about Momocchi, how did she exactly come to know?" Aomine glanced at him.

"You know, about us dating." Kise added.

"Well..." Aomine began, taking a bite of the snack and thinking of a proper yet somehow vague answer.

"She...uh, she just saw me texting you back and forth. And some other things caught her interest."

"Like what?" Kise tilted his head, unconvinced at the vague reply.

"I don't exactly know..." Aomine almost gritted his teeth, feeling embarrassed. He recalled all those things Momoi said to him that indicated he liked Kise and no way in hell was he going to list them out to him.

"Hey, you know, she told me that you must like me too." Aomine quickly diverted the subject matter.

Kise's eyebrows rose in slight surprise. "Really? She said that? What made her think that way?"

"She said that you've always admired me, and the rest of it, she called it woman's intuition." Aomine rolled his eyes.

"Oh, uhh...that kind of explains it?!" Kise replied awkwardly and uncertainly but wasn't surprised to hear that. He's known Momoi since Middle school and he came to know she was always right, even about irrelevant things.

Soon enough, they were done eating.

The sun began setting in the sky, it was beautifully coated with a hue of yellow and orange and Aomine sighed as he realized that the day was coming to an end which meant so was their date. He peeked at Kise and saw him looking away, he followed the trail of his eyes and discovered that Kise was eyeing around.

"What are you looking for, babe?"

Kise blinked and turned his head towards Aomine. "I, uh...I was thinking that you paid for most of the date today, so I was thinking of buying you a gift or something." A smile graced his face.

Aomine shook his head. "I don't need a gift or anything of that sort. You don't have to buy me anything."

Humming, Kise glanced around him again. "I know but I still want to. Just let me buy you something."

With a roll of his eyes, Aomine refused again. "But I want to!" Kise insisted and furrowed his brows, showing him his usual puppy look.

There was a sheepish rub of a tanned nape and Aomine knew he couldn't fight that look. He reluctantly agreed.

Kise dragged Aomine to a nearby shop. "How about this?" Kise asked, holding a trinket in his hand, inspecting it from all sides, looking through the pattern. "A keychain?" Aomine asked with eyebrows lifted high. He wasn't necessarily fond of such things but he guessed if Kise was buying it, he might as well accept it.

"Yes!" Kise chirped. "See...they even have the Basketball ones too." He ran his fingers across the swaying trinkets. "How about I buy that one?" He pointed and held one of them in his palm. "Look, it has a player dribbling the ball carved on it." Aomine almost rolled his eyes but Kise's enthusiasm curbed the urge. "It's like made for you." Kise let out a giggle.

"I'm fine with whatever, Kise." Aomine reached up and cupped Kise's hand which was laced between the trinkets. He brushed his fingers through the chains and in between Kise's.

The intentional touch made Kise bite his inner cheek. He turned his head towards Aomine and pouted when he saw a smirk on his face. He made no attempt to withdraw his hand. Getting bolder in his moves, Aomine entwined his fingers with Kise. "Yeah, this one will do just fine." He smiled and blue eyes twinkled in response.

Kise bought the thing and placed it on Aomine's palm. The corner of his lips tugged upwards, hinting a small smile and he leaned up to kiss Aomine's cheek. "This is my first ever gift for Aominecchi!" He exclaimed brightly.

Aomine's breath hitched as he felt the little kiss and groaned all the while when Kise pulled back. His chest grew too warm with affection and he couldn't stop from mimicking Kise's actions. He leaned towards Kise and kissed his cheek. "Thanks." He muttered.

Golden eyes gaped at his actions and upon realizing his own little gesture Aomine's face grew a tad hot. Kise in return blushed and gave a meek smile.

 _This is so embarrassing,_ Aomine mused.

"Aominecchi, you know what we should do?" Kise smiled, almost wickedly.

"What?" Aomine arched his brow.

"We should take a photo together. Oh, we should really take one; this is our first date after all!" Kise's smile widened and he clapped his hands together.

"No." Aomine flat out refused.

"What? Why not?" Kise pouted.

"No reason..." Aomine didn't want to admit he was camera shy. He never was comfortable around them.

"Please?" Kise met his eyes, determinedly. "Pretty please?" He knitted his brows. "Aominecchi...please?" He pouted again with the combination of his puppy face.

"Damn it! Fine! And stop making that stupid face every time." Aomine scowled.

That was the moment Kise realized he could use that look to extort things out of Aomine and smirked internally with this profound information. And Aomine thought he needs to develop immunity against that look.

Kise took out his phone and opened his camera app. He scooted closer to Aomine, faces pressing against each other. Aomine was hesitant but he flung his arm around Kise's shoulder and his boyfriend angled the camera in front of them. "Smile, Aominecchi!" The flash went off. He looked at the photo and saw Aomine frowning in it. "Aominecchi, I told you to smile!" Kise glared at him. "Let's take another one and don't forget to smile." He angled his phone again and demanded him to smile again. The flash went off and he was satisfied when he took a glance at the photo. Aomine did smile, although awkwardly yet it was somehow sweet and Kise's smile was soft and serene. Behind them the sky was orange and Kise's sun-coloured hair blended in with the background beautifully. "We look good together." Kise smiled fondly at the photo as Aomine looked back and forth between Kise and his phone. The photo came out beautiful and rather _natural_.

Aomine's cheeks were lightly flushed with pink and he thanked the gods again that his skin is tanned causing the blush to be barely noticeable.

Heaving a sigh, Aomine ran his palm across his face. "Message me our photo later." He muttered, looking away, too embarrassed to look at his boyfriend.

Kise's lips curled into a warm smile.

* * *

Walking towards the station, Kise's eyes fell on a worn out Basketball court in the corner of the street, away from the crowded area. He saw some kids play in the court, he glanced at Aomine's direction. "Aominecchi, our date would be incomplete without playing Basketball, don't you think?" Kise cooed, with a toothy grin along with sparkling eyes. "I'd love to play but we have to have a ball and a court first." Aomine scoffed mockingly.

Kise looked at him with a blank expression.

"You idiot. There's a court right there..." Kise pointed in the direction of the court. Aomine caught sight of the court. "Well, we can play ball but there's kids playing there."

"Well, how about we borrow the ball from them?" Kise wondered if the kids would share the ball.

Aomine shrugged.

They walked in the direction of the court and Kise began talking to the kids and asked whether they would lend the ball. "Where are your parents anyway?" Kise questioned, glancing around. "My mom is standing right around the corner." One of the kids said. "And my mama's with his mama." The other kid spoke.

Aomine and Kise looked around and spotted the mothers. They were happily chatting away.

"You are so tall!" The kid exclaimed to Kise as he lifted his head up.

Kise blinked and he bent down to his knees, eye-to-eye level with the kid. "Thank you so much!" He flashed a smile. "What is your name?"

The kid squinted his eyes. "I'm Hikaru." He gestured to himself. "And he is Akio." He glanced towards his friend.

"You're so pretty!" The kid, Akio spoke. "Eh? Thank you so much, you are pretty cute too." Kise giggled and ruffled the kid's hair.

"Oi! Don't just ignore me!" Kise heard a particular tall and gruff kid's voice behind him. With a sugary giggle, he looked up at him. Aomine grumbled incoherently under his breath with a scowl on his face.

"Are you a girl?" Hikaru asked, hopping towards Kise. And Kise heard a snicker behind him. "I like that kid." The tall grumpy kid scoffed. Kise turned and glared at him.

Kise brought his gaze back to the kids and said, "No, I'm a boy. I'm just too pretty." He smirked. And Aomine rolled his eyes.

"So you're the pretty onii-chan and the onii-chan behind you is scary looking." Akio muttered. Now Kise was the one who snickered.

"Aominecchi, you're scaring them." Kise pouted playfully. Aomine frowned. Truthfully, Aomine isn't good with kids. He's never interacted with one. He just stood there, rather awkwardly and marvelled over his social skills. _Stupid Kise._

"So do you want to be Basketball players when you grow up?" A melodious voice asked.

"Yes! Akio and I want to play Basketball when we grow up!" Kise's heart grew warm when he witnessed the children's enthusiasm with the sport.

"You know, me and Aominecchi are both Basketball players, we can show you some moves!" His eyes glinted with contagious excitement and the kids, in turn, jumped up with excitement as well.

Kise grabbed the ball and flung it towards Aomine. "Show them some moves, Aominecchi! Make a dunk or a formless shot!" He winked and Aomine had no option but to comply.

He dribbled the ball, running towards the hoop and made the dunk.

"That's so cool!" Akio chirped, clapping his hands together.

Aomine smirked and ran up to make a formless shot.

Kise was reminded of the time he first met Aomine. In Teiko middle school's gym, when he was first introduced to Basketball and Aomine was the one who introduced the sport to him. He smiled at the fond memory.

Later, they both played a couple of one-on-ones and the kids were left mesmerized. "I wanna become just like the scary onii-chan when I grow up!" Hikaru jumped up with joy. Kise chuckled to his side; he remembered how he wanted to become just as cool as Aomine.

"And the pretty onii-chan is also so good!" Akio chimed. "I want to become like you!"

Kise laughed. "Definitely! You'll become great players one day!" He ruffled both of the kid's hair.

He smiled softly and returned the ball to the kids.

The couple left, saying their goodbyes to the kids. The sun set behind them and the sky got dark too soon. "You're good with kids." Aomine stated. "Well, they're easy to deal with. And they're so cute." Kise responded, smiling. He proceeded to entwine their hands. Aomine made no comment and their walk to the station was silent.

Knowing that their date is coming to an end, Kise's heart clenched. He enjoyed the time with Aomine and had an urge to pull him into a kiss. But he refrained, and chose to heave a silent sigh. He felt a squeeze from Aomine's hand and he squeezed back. And not long after, they reached the station.

They both boarded the same train, and took an empty seat. Aomine glanced at Kise. He noticed that Kise seemed rather sleepy. His eyelids fluttered closed ever so lightly and saw him rub his eyes. _Even his simple ministrations are cute._

"Aominecchi? That keychain I got for you, on what will you strap it?"

"Hmm, I don't know. How silly, I didn't think of that." Aomine huffed.

"You can strap it on your gym bag." Kise gave him a lazy smile.

And Aomine smiled back. "Yeah, good idea." The smile didn't fade away from his boyfriend's face and he stared at him. His smile sent a wave of affection into Aomine's heart.

Afterwards, Kise fell asleep to the silent noises of the clatter in the train with surrounding people who interacted with hushed voices. His head came to rest on Aomine's shoulder. Aomine stiffened a tad as Kise's weight fell upon on his shoulder. He registered every detail of his face, up close. He watched his steady and soft rise and fall of his chest, his thick eyelashes and eyelids closed. Soft lips slightly parted as his breaths were slow. Few strands of his hair tickled his neck and Aomine shifted closer to him.

He remembered how he kissed those plump lips, how he showered him with kisses on his neck, collarbone, and shoulder and _fuck_ , he wanted to kiss him again. His gaze travelled downwards to his hands. Aomine noticed how his palms were really pale and his nails were neatly trimmed. Looking at his wrist, Aomine could see the green and purple lines of veins connecting his thumb, his knuckles.

He stared at him for quite a while, but some giggling girls caught his attention. He lifted his head and turned it towards the incessant noise and saw the particular group of girls' gazes pointed at them. One of them was blushing as she looked in Aomine's direction while the other seemed to struggle to stifle her laughs and giggles. He soon realized the reason for such behaviour. He brought his index finger to his lips and winked, shushing them — signalling them to keep quiet as he didn't want to stir up a commotion which might wake his sleeping boyfriend up. The certain group went silent and soon enough they blushed red. They quickly looked away and Aomine couldn't help but smirk.

His thoughts were interrupted when the announcement went off, informing everybody that Tokyo station was about to arrive in a couple of minutes.

Aomine almost panicked, he didn't want to leave it yet while Kise was sleeping peacefully on his shoulder. To leave, he would have to wake Kise up and let him go to Kanagawa all alone. He suddenly felt lonely and glanced down to the sun-coloured mop of hair again. He needed to make his decision fast. He opened his mouth to interrupt the peaceful slumber of Kise but closed it soon enough when he heard Kise mindlessly mumble, "Aominecchi" under his breath. Aomine stilled, thinking Kise had already woken up but soon realized that he was still asleep.

Fixing his eyes at him, Aomine decided he wouldn't wake Kise up until Kanagawa arrives. He sighed internally.

* * *

As Kanagawa station's announcement went off, Aomine shook Kise's body gingerly. "Kise, wake up. Kanagawa is about to arrive." Kise didn't budge. He poked his cheek, but Kise made no movement. Aomine quickly realized he's a deep sleeper. He pinched his cheeks and stretched it gently. He wondered if Kise usually slept like a dead log in a train, if he ever missed his stop. Aomine flicked his forehead, rather softly - enough to wake him up.

Deep golden eyes fluttered open and Aomine for a moment was mesmerized again. _His eyes are too gorgeous._

Kise rubbed the remnants of sleep off of his eyes, blearily and turned side-ways. He saw Aomine staring at him. "Aominecchi?"

"Hey..." Aomine smiled. "Your stop is coming." He noticed Kise's vision is a bit unfocused and smiled again, as he saw him blinking rapidly, the reality now catching up to him.

"Wha...Kanagawa is arriving? Wait? What? What do you mean?" He gaped at him dumbly.

"Yeah, in a couple of minutes."

"Wait-I-what? But Tokyo arrives before Kanagawa! I slept, shit!" Kise grumbled, realizing the oddity.

"Yeah, you were out like a light. Like a dead baby." A smirk tugged on his features.

"Aominecchi, that's crass and why didn't you wake me up when Tokyo arrived?"

Aomine shrugged. "I fell asleep too; I actually missed my spot and woke up just before you did." He lied; he didn't want to admit that he stayed back on purpose.

Kise blinked at him in confusion. "M'kay."

 _God, he is too cute._ Heaving a sigh, Aomine saw the station approaching. They both exited the train. "Aominecchi, Tokyo is like an hour away from Kanagawa."

"I know." He almost rolled his eyes. During that duration in train, Aomine had done nothing but relish in Kise's warmth next to him. That was the first time he had ever seen a sleeping Kise. He watched his gorgeous boyfriend breathe in and out, sleeping like a peaceful baby, and he took in every second of the hour.

"Aominecchi, come to my place." Kise suddenly offered.

"What?" Aomine blinked rapidly, a bit taken aback - at the suggestive question. His heartbeat quickened as his mind tried to twist the offer which would conveniently agree with his dick.

"Tokyo is an hour away and you must be tired. You can sleep at my apartment. My sister wouldn't mind."

All of Aomine's eagerness faltered. He sighed. "Baka...It's okay. It's only an hour away."

A pout appeared on the blond's face. "Ehh...Come on! You should come."

"Do you even know what you're saying, Kise?" Aomine's eyes twitched. "You're inviting me to your place. Are you aware that I won't be able to keep my hands to myself? Although your sister is there, _things_ might just happen in your bedroom."

Kise's eyes widened as the truth finally dawned on him. He blushed quickly as he realized that Aomine had somewhat hinted sex.

"Heh! Now you understand." Aomine chuckled. "Besides, we have school tomorrow."

Upon receiving no reply, he spoke up again, changing the matter abruptly. "Well, today was fun right?"

"Yes. It was! It was amazing." Kise smiled, brightly. "But, Aominecchi, I'll be paying next time."

"Sure. You should loosen your purse strings too. You're a model, you should take me out to fancy dates, babe." A playful smirk appeared on Aomine's face.

Kise slapped his arm lightly. "Ah, but today was so much fun!" He exclaimed again.

"Yeah, you had _way_ too much fun teasing me." Aomine arched his brow.

"When did I ever tease you?" Kise batted his lashes innocently.

Aomine narrowed his eyes at him. And he stepped into Kise's personal space. "When did you ever tease me?" He glowered. "How about the time you brushed your knees against mine?"

Kise gasped internally. "Oh? You noticed that?" Another use of innocent tone almost irritated Aomine.

"Yeah, I did. How about the time you rested your weight against me? Or how about the time you spend calling me cute? You are such a tease, babe." Aomine inched closer.

"You are a tease too, Aominecchi. Like the time when you pulled back when I tried to kiss you, or the time when you practically draped your body over mine only to pull away from me again. Or the time when you kept calling me different names. Or the time when you stole glances or touches." Kise breathed heavily against his lips.

"You did some of 'em too, you know. You stole glances as well as touches. Don't think I wouldn't notice that." Aomine stepped closer to him.

"You stole kisses, Aominecchi." Kise tilted his head.

"Heh, don't tell me you didn't like them. I will steal them whenever I get the chance." Aomine tilted his own, intending to kiss him.

"You're such an Aho and well, did you notice that every time you put your arm around my shoulder I shivered?" Kise gulped.

Aomine was a bit taken aback. "No." He stared at him.

"Do you know I deliberately touch you every now and then?" Aomine purred seductively, staring at his lips.

"Do you know _how fucking sexy your voice is_?" Kise whispered against his lips. And _that_ did it. He knew he won this little game when he watched Aomine's reaction. Aomine stared at him wide-eyed with lips parted in a silent gasp, he was rendered speechless. The blond's lips twitched up in a sly smirk. And Aomine realized Kise wasn't somebody to mess with and he knew, he just knew he is going to fantasize about him again, tonight.

Leaning towards him, almost unconsciously, Aomine was about to close the distance between them when suddenly he was jerked back to reality when the announcement of a train heading to Tokyo fell upon his ears.

Kise noticed and heard the announcement in a dazed state of mind. He tentatively took a step away from Aomine. "We're...uh, in public."

Aomine stared at him for a while then let out a sigh irritably. "Well, I should get going now. The train's arriving in a few minutes."

"Text me." Kise said and smiled softly.

"Yeah, I will." Aomine smiled back.

"Well...I'll be going now." He reached up and tucked a flock of sun-coloured hair behind Kise's ear. He flinched but a smile graced his face quickly.

"Bye, Aominecchi." Kise kissed his cheek.

Aomine's heart fluttered. "Bye, Kise."

Kise waved him goodbye. He sighed heavily as he saw his back disappearing.


	18. Jealousy Is Ugly

The vibrations of squeaky shoes and the loud bounces of Basketball echoed in a certain gymnasium in Kanagawa prefecture.

In midst of a practice match, Nakamura successfully blocked Kise while Kise tried to maneuver around him, trying to run towards the hoop. Taking a tentative step, Kise tried to break free from him but Nakamura's defense was strong. Kise groaned but tried again, getting bolder and faster in his movements, he managed to slip past him. He made a run towards the hoop but Nakamura was quick to catch up to him.

Kise smirked, even though it's a practice match, he loved how his teammates weren't willing to slow down against him. "Not gonna let the ace past me." Nakamura muttered.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." The ace replied, chuckling.

"But I still have an opening." He mumbled under his breath and eyed the hoop from his periphery. He knew the ball would rebound if he were to make a shot, but he decided to shoot anyway as he saw Hayakawa at a reasonable distance from the hoop. He took a step back, and thrusted the ball into the air, towards the hoop. Hayakawa noticed Kise's movements and intentions and ran. As expected, the ball rebounded and Hayakawa was quick to jog up until the ball had resurfaced from the ring of the hoop. He swiftly grabbed the ball and jammed it down, making a dunk.

The gym echoed with the sounds of the swishing and the soft bounces of the ball and Hayakawa quickly grabbed it.

"Alright, let's take a short break." Their coach announced.

The teammates were huffing and panting from the strenuous match and they gathered around the benches to drink water.

"Good job, Kise!" The new captain, Hayakawa exclaimed, patting his back rather loudly and roughly causing Kise to stumble forward a tad. "You didn't do a direct dunk this time."

"Yeah, Nakamura's defense was strong and that was the only opening." Kise said.

"Keep up the teamwork and we'll take the next Inter-high tournament with a storm." Hayakawa said, sitting down on the bench. "Right, Nakamura?" He eyed his teammate.

"Uh, yes, you have been participating in teamwork consistently now. It's good." Nakamura replied. He avoided making any further conversation with Kise, for he doesn't know how to keep up with his pace.

Hayakawa grinned. "And I'm already hyped for the next tournament!" He slapped his cheeks, excitedly. "They wouldn't know what hit them." He already felt his blood pumping up with the excitement. "We will work our asses off and show 'em! Kaijo will emerge victorious! We will do our best and win the tournament."

Kise pulled a face, not that he wasn't excited, he was but his new captain was over the top and too enthusiastic. Hayakawa had the tendency to get over hyped even at practice matches and with a combination of his loud personality and his slurred speech usually made Kise frown as he had a hard time dealing with him.

While Kise was busy talking with his teammates, his cell phone chimed. Going over to take it out of his bag, he saw a new text message.

" **Yo!"**

Kise sported a fierce pout at the nonchalant text.

" **Don't you 'yo' me!** **ヽ** **(#`Д´)** **ﾉ** **"**

" **Why not?"**

" **I'm mad at you! (** **^´)"**

" **Why?"**

" **Why? Why you ask? Do you know how many hickeys you left on me?** **｡゜** **(** **Д´)** **゜｡** **"**

" **8?"**

" **Yes! 8! Do you know even after waking up in the morning they didn't fade? Not a single one of them?** **ヽ** **(#`Д´)** **ﾉ** **"**

" **Hah! I do a pretty good job, don't I?"**

" **What the hell? Do you know how much makeup I had to apply to even them out with my skin tone? (** **σ** **)"**

" **No. I don't. Please do enlighten me."** Aomine replied wryly, snickering at the other end. He wished he were with him to see his stupid face, most probably pouting.

" **Ugh, this is not funny! I had to put on a lot of concealer!** **ヽ** **(#`Д´)** **ﾉ** **"**

" **Hey, hey now, I didn't hear any complaints when I was sucking on your neck!"**

" **Aominecchi!** **＼** **(o)** **ノ** **"**

Aomine shook his head as his mind conjured the text into a sound of a high-pitched whine.

" **What? You think you can stop me from making them?"**

Kise puffed his cheeks; he had no doubts that Aomine was smirking at the other end.

" **Aominecchi!** **(** **‿** **)"**

" **Don't pretend that you didn't like it. Weren't you moaning?"**

Kise's cheeks quickly burned in embarrassment.

" **I wouldn't deny that it doesn't feel good but please next time be careful, okay? (** **っ** **˘з(˘** **˘ )"**

" **Fine, blondie. I'll try. Maybe I'll suck on places other than your neck ;) "**

" **BAKA AOMINECCHI! (*** **ﾟﾛﾟ** **)"**

" **Btw, I forgot I had your necklace tag thingy with me."**

" **Oh yeah...I forgot, whatever just keep it with you. (** **3** **)"**

" **What would I do with it?"**

" **Wear it! o(^** **^)o"**

" **The hell...no."**

Kise let out a giggle. He brought his fingertips to type another reply but a sudden kick to his back threw him off guard. His body fell forward from the impact. Frantically he turned around and gaped at the source of the kick. "Kasamatsu-senpai!" He was taken aback. "Why did you kick me?" He wailed, rubbing the kicked area.

"You brat! What are you doing texting and giggling like a little girl in the middle of a practice?" Kasamatsu was practically seething at his irresponsible behaviour.

"Eh..." Kise scratched the back of his neck. "It's break time though." He put his cell phone back in his bag.

Heaving a sigh, Kasamatsu softened up, crossing his arms over his chest. "Even if it's a break, don't end up getting distracted."

"I won't get distracted, Senpai." A pout formed on his face.

"Idiot. Who's got your attention now?" Kasamatsu questioned, quite curious but not attaching much importance to it.

"Aominecchi!" Kise lit up, golden eyes shining.

That name caught the former captain's attention. "Aomine?" He arched an eyebrow, his steel blue eyes came to settle on golden ones. Kise confirmed with an excited nod of his head.

For a moment, he held his gaze onto him, narrowing his eyes as he pondered sharply.

Kasamatsu could be considered as a very sharp person, he analyzes his surroundings and rarely ever lets information slip past him. But he's not the type to meddle in unless and until it's necessary. Other people's personal lives are of no concern to him but surely he wouldn't hesitate to say a few or more things when he senses the need to.

"Aomine, huh?" He asked again, rhetorically. "Funny, I've been hearing a lot about him from your sister."

Kise's smile faltered. _Now that can't be good..._

While Kise met his gaze, freezing on the very spot he stood on, he felt the need to suddenly bury himself underground, for he knows Kasamatsu will see right through him. Throughout the year he has spent with his senpai, he's learnt one thing — He can't ever hide things from him. Kasamatsu has that fiery determination within him. Unlike Kise's slow sister, those steel blue eyes of his, much like Aomine's — unyielding and sharp, will pierce through any shield he ever tries to put up or extract any information out of him if given the right push. As their gazes lock, Kise feels nervousness seeping in him. He bites his inner cheek, trying to hide the building anxiety within him.

Out of dread, he broke the eye contact, hoping Kasamatsu wouldn't pick up on it, but much to his chagrin, he's well aware that Kasamatsu will indeed get suspicious. And he does.

"Do you have work after the practice is over?" Kasamatsu asked, trying to be discreet.

"Y-yes, but I've got some time before I head over at the agency." Kise wanted to make an excuse to get out of the upcoming impeding situation, wanted to say that he has to leave for work right away but he was aware those excuses will be futile.

Kasamatsu hummed at his timid compliance. "After the practice is over, let's go out to have a bite."

As Kise's heartbeat rose, he knew Kasamatsu is onto him and would ask questions, he internally cursed his sister's big mouth and wondered just how much she has told Kasamatsu.

Glancing around, Kasamatsu went to greet Hayakawa and Kise trailed behind him. "Oi! Hayakawa. I'll give you a pro-captain tip. Don't be afraid to hit Kise every now and then. It helps him get his head in the game." Kasamatsu said dryly. "Wah! Senpai, you're so mean! Don't encourage others to bully me." Kise's lips puckered. "You're a big dunce, Kise. Sometimes we have to smack you across your head to force some sense into you." Kasamatsu huffed.

"Hai! I'll do my best in disciplining him!" Hayakawa flashed a cheeky grin.

Kise pouted in return.

"I wished Kobori-senpai and Moriyama-senpai came today to visit us. It would have been great, if we were to gather together." He flashed a smile.

"Well, they both are busy with cram school. But Moriyama must also be goofing around in search of girls." The former captain said, sounding tired.

Hayakawa laughed while Kise muttered, "Some things never change," sporting a stupid smile on his face.

Soon enough, the break was over and the coach announced to resume the practice.

Furrowing his brows, Kasamatsu took in the sight of practice. Hayakawa is over enthusiastic as usual, Kise still acts as an idiot – although he's gotten much better at teamwork, he relies on his teammates and it reflects well on his play, while Nakamura has gotten better at blocking his opponents. Even though he's usually a bench warmer; he gives it his all. He wonders just how this team is going to keep up. But he isn't worried; he has faith in them and knows they would welcome new players in the following academic year.

After the practice finished, Kasamatsu and Kise head towards the nearest restaurant.

The air around them is quiet and this atmosphere almost upsets Kise. He would rather keep talking than bear this silence. "Senpai~ It's been so long since we've met." He drawled. "You don't even come to visit me anymore."

"Hmm, I have been busy with cram school and the entrance exams. My schedule is jam packed and I don't even have the time to participate in a simple basketball street match." Kasamatsu heaved a sigh. "After quite a while, I found some leisure time so I came over today at the gym, only to see you idiots prancing around and still being a bunch of goofy idiots." He scowled.

Kise smiled lopsidedly but seemed to understand the situation. He, himself, can empathize as his schedule is hectic with his work, club activities and school.

"I'm always studying and the pressure is sometimes too much. But I have to do this, if I want to go to a good university." Kasamatsu added.

By the time, they had gotten comfortable, they reached the restaurant.

Sitting down and ordering some dishes, Kasamatsu looked at a fidgeting Kise.

"How is your work going?"

"Oh, it's as usual, it gets tiring by the end of the day but I still have fun."

"Hmm and what do you do on weekends? You still work on Sundays?" He asked, trying to test the waters.

"Yeah, photo shoots and interviews always keep me busy. Although on Sundays, I'm usually free..." The last few words were a whisper but loud enough for Kasamatsu to hear.

"So what do you do on Sundays?"

"Play Basketball"

"With?"

"Aominecchi"

"..."

Their order arrived at the moment. The tension lay heavy between them as the waiter served food.

They began eating and later Kasamatsu decided to cut to the chase. "So tell me about Aomine." He chided, shifting in his chair, and leaned back comfortably.

"What's there to tell? Aominecchi is Aominecchi." Kise replied, unintelligibly. _Amazing as always_. Those words died on the tip of his tongue. "We play Basketball..."

At the skimpy response, there was a gruff groan from Kasamatsu. "Look, I know, I haven't been in touch with you lately. I've been busy and so have you. We didn't even meet much at school often."

Kise averted his gaze.

"But I met your sister quite a few times, mostly coincidental. I even bumped into her at the supermarket."

"What are you doing meeting my sister so often? She has a boyfriend." He tittered.

There was a swift chop on his head. "Ow! Senpai, that hurts!" He whined.

"You brat! Don't run your tongue off too much."

"I have been meaning to talk to you for a while now. But between my schedule and your work, circumstances were uncooperative. I'd meet you at least on weekends but you're too busy spending your off days with him. So this is one of the reasons why I came to the gym today."

Kise just listened to him, sitting on the opposite side of him. For now, he only thought that his senpai is only bothered about him spending too much time with Aomine and maybe he wouldn't figure out that they've started dating. _Maybe, just maybe_ , he wished.

"Your sister mentioned you harping about Aomine every now and then and that's how I came to know you often meet him."

"Well, it's not really a big deal. We only ever gather for one-on-ones." An innocent smile played on his lips.

Meeting his gaze, Kasamatsu sighed. Steel blue eyes bored into golden ones. He didn't let his mind wander off regarding this matter. Aomine and Kise had known each other since middle school and it is no surprise to see them playing Basketball, their entire relationship started off on the sport. He's well aware that Basketball was, and will always be a part of their life. But there is this gnawing feeling at the pit of his stomach that he just can't seem to get rid of. He has never liked Aomine. True, his Basketball skills are god-like but he has a huge ego, bigger than the planet Earth and his personality is rather insensitive which might end up hurting people around him.

It has somewhat been a year since he's known Kise, sure they might have started off on a wrong foot, but they later got along well. During the year, he had become acquainted with his sister, although he was a nervous wreck in front of her but somehow he has managed to get past his nerves and is now capable of talking normally with her. Since he has gotten to know the blond so well, he's able to nitpick his unusual habits and distinguish between his atypical behaviour. Over the time, he has grown protective of him and doesn't want to see him get hurt or cry.

Eating in comfortable silence later, Kise's phone beeped again. He saw him swiping across the screen and noticed that smile on his face, that soft upward tug of his lips and the way his eyes softened up as his gaze stayed fixated on the screen was enough to tell Kasamatsu who had been the sender of what he supposed was a text message. It somehow irritated him; he kicked him under the table. "Ow! Senpai, you're bullying me! Everybody bullies me!" He cried out comically.

"Who else bullies you?" He let out an indignant huff.

"Aominecchi!" Kise flailed. "He always flicks my forehead, kicks me, lands a chop on my head, flings Basketball at my head, he even headlocks me!" After a fake sob he continued, "Aominecchi always teases me! Why do you people always bully me?!" He sniffled, dramatically rubbing his eyes. A familiar jut of his lower lip made Kasamatsu kick him again.

"Senpai! So mean!"

"You're so annoying! You deserve to be kicked, freakin' idiot!"

"Why?!"

"You're still a naive brat! An airhead!"

"Huhu, senpai!" He whined in a loud fashion. "You people should go easy on me, I'm a model!"

"We don't care if you're a model or anything." Kasamatsu said.

Kise stopped his dramatic act and a smile quickly graced his face. And his heart grew warm, he will always value this trait where people don't care that he's a celebrity but treat him as any other human being.

His smile grew and soon enough, he burst into a fit of laughter. The sound was boisterous to Kasamatsu's ears which soon died in airy chuckles.

"You're so noisy! What's so funny now?"

"Nothing! Nothing, I just missed this. Being with you is relaxing, Senpai." Kise grinned. "But you always kick me." He pouted again, like a little kid.

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes. "This is exactly why people bully you!"

"Why?" Kise cocked his head.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Kasamatsu huffed at his hopeless situation. "You'll always be an idiot!"

"So mean, senpai!" Another whine was heard.

"Anyway, have you started studying yet? Soon enough exams will be over your head. Considering your brains, you should at least pass." He chided.

"Don't worry, senpai! Exams are still far away, I'll definitely pass."

"Don't be so lenient, Kise. You can't afford to be this relaxed."

Kise exhaled. "I know. And I will start studying, if I were to be honest, I'd say I have problems with Math."

"How about I teach you?"

"Really?"

"Yes, my Math is good but I'll tell you this beforehand, I'm a strict teacher, I won't go easy on you."

"I'm not surprised. Sure, I'll be happy to receive your help."

"Great. I'll let you know when I can teach you."

Leaving the restaurant after they were done, Kise spoke, "You know, Senpai, Aominecchi has gotten even more amazing at Basketball. Whenever I play with him, he always defeats me, although I won once but it doesn't really count. But don't you think it's amazing how good he is at Basketball?"

Kasamatsu didn't bother to respond.

"We do this thing where after one loses the Basketball match, the loser buys something to eat." Kise giggled.

He continued, "And you know, Aominecchi always drops me off at station. Isn't that sweet of him?"

Cocking an eyebrow at him, Kasamatsu felt dubious. "Is that so?" Aomine being sweet? He can't imagine that.

Following that, the blonde began to prattle on about Aomine.

Growing too annoyed, Kasamatsu jabbed his side. "Shut up! I've been hearing about Aomine for god knows how long, I didn't come here to hear you harp about him!" Hearing Kise babble about someone like Aomine, someone who is lackadaisical, someone who doesn't care about anybody else, irritates him.

Kise then laughed awkwardly, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry, I sometimes go overboard."

Kasamatsu stared at him, his gaze calculating. No matter how much he tries to ignore the fact, it's pretty clear to him now. But he still asks,

"Do you really like Aomine that way?"

Kise blinked in at the direct question. It wasn't a surprise to him since Kasamatsu is a sharp person but he thought he would keep it under wraps from him — at least for some time. Well, it's no use hiding now...

He didn't hesitate to nod in affirmation.

"What about Aomine? What does he feel about you?"

"He-he likes me too." Kise's face felt hot. He wondered if he was blushing.

"Are you two dating now?"

Kise's heart skipped a beat at the question, though he knows for a fact that that question was inevitable coming from Kasamatsu. He grew nervous, slightly fidgeting. He wondered what Kasamatsu would say.

"Y-yes. We are." He mumbled, gulping down.

Silence.

Kasamatsu seemed to be in deep thought.

"How long?"

"Um, I guess it has been more than two weeks."

"I see," was all Kasamatsu said.

Inside, Kasamatsu was trying to digest this piece of information. He did have his suspicions and now that they have been confirmed, he didn't know what to say. A part of him wanted to warn Kise, wanted to say 'be careful around him' but he doesn't. He thinks and mostly hopes Aomine is better than that, better than the image he lets on. He doesn't think Kise is dumb, he can handle things on his own as he has known Aomine since middle school. Kise knows Aomine better than he ever will. So, for now, he would let him have the benefit of the doubt. But if Aomine ever hurts him, Kasamatsu wouldn't hesitate to kick his ass, he wouldn't forgive that bastard.

"S-senpai?" Kise asked for his attention.

Kasamatsu sighed, a long and loud one. "Okay, look, I can't really talk more about this." He glanced at his wrist watch. "I have to go now. It's time for my cram class. I'll let you know when I'll be free to teach you. We'll talk then, okay?"

"Okay." Kise said smiling, and Kasamatsu left while the model headed towards his agency. He expected Kasamatsu to give him an opinion or to say anything about dating Aomine but the verbal confrontation never came. Maybe he'll talk next time, Kise mused.

* * *

Kise's phone beeped again, _"_ **Oi! Hello! Why haven't you replied me yet?"**

" **Sorry! I was with Kasamatsu-senpai just now (´** **`)** **ﾉ** **"** He texted back.

Aomine blinked several times, suddenly caught off guard from the unexpected occurrence. _Kasamatsu?_ He was walking towards his home and he stopped dead in his tracks. A deep crease appeared on his forehead. _His ex-captain? Kise was with him? What for?_ Various emotions emerged and then gushed through his system – Anger, Jealousy, Envy, Distress, and his heart clenched as a sharp pang of hurt surged through him.

The blood-curling circumstance made him brusquely scroll through Kise's contact number to call him up.

Kasamatsu's affinity with Kise always had inevitably enraged him. And Aomine thought Kise, being the puppy he is, has begun to admire Kasamatsu, has begun to be at ease with him, and has begun to rely on him and along with the combination of attachment and understanding between them, it made Aomine want to tear off his own blue hair in vexation.

He thought he had forgotten about these feelings, or more like buried them deep inside. Now, like molten lava, these feelings were bubbling up and he wasn't aware it would erupt in a mess.

And the next few minutes seemed to pass by in a flash.

Kise's brows lifted up, seeing the incoming call from Aomine. He swiped the screen and accepted the call but before he could even muster up a 'hello' or a whisper of his name, Aomine spoke up first, "What the hell were you doing with him?" His voice loud yet restrained.

"What? Aominecchi? Why did you suddenly call-"

"I asked, what the hell were you doing with _Kasamatsu_?" Aomine could feel the anger rise up within him. The way he pronounced Kasamatsu's name seemed as if it was harshly pushed from the back of his throat, through his gritted teeth.

"I-I was just-" Kise began but stopped mid-sentence. He didn't know why but Aomine sounded somewhat angry and he wouldn't deny that he was quite agitated by it.

"Answer me!" Aomine shouted. The adrenaline rush added to his anxiety which reflected in his actions and voice.

And his acrimonious tone elicited a flinch out of Kise. "Eh? Kasamatsu-senpai came to the practice match today, a-and later we just went out to eat." His voice quivered.

"You went out to eat with him? What the fuck?" Aomine wasn't able to stop his hatred, his jealousy, his resentment from overflowing. _How dare he go out with him?_ Kasamatsu is the ex-captain now; they have no business hanging out together anymore. His chest heaved in malice and anger and he gripped his phone tightly.

"What's the big deal, Aominecchi? Kasamatsu-senpai and I just had a bite." Kise replied dumbly.

"Just had a bite? Don't fuck with me Kise!" Aomine clenched his fists. Out of all the people on planet Earth, why did it have to be Kasamatsu? _Why did it fucking have to be him?_ Just a simple utter of his name leaving from Kise's lips pisses him off.

Aomine breathed in harshly. "I fucking hate him!"

"What? Why? What are you even talking about?" Kise was baffled. He had no idea what compelled Aomine to behave this way. He felt quiet alarmed to see Aomine acting so furious.

"I fucking _hate_ that bastard!" Aomine repeated again, this time with animosity dripping from his voice. "Who the fuck does he think he is? That piece of shit has no right hanging out with you anymore."

"Aominecchi, please. I don't know what your deal is but I won't let you talk about senpai like that. I respect him."

"What? Hah?!" Kise heard a bitter-mock scoff at the other end.

"You respect him and now I'm supposed to care about it?" He hissed.

"Yes, senpai is-"

"I don't fucking give a shit!" Aomine snapped again.

"A-Aominecchi, what's the matter? Why are you acting this way?" Kise was highly appalled at the austerity of his voice. He has never heard Aomine sound like this.

"What's the matter? I'll tell you what the matter is. I thought I made it clear that you are mine! So why are you still spending time with that guy?!" He hated it, hated it so much, absolutely abhorred the idea of Kise being with Kasamatsu. "In no way, are you allowed to meet Kasamatsu anymore!" He barked, unable to control this ugly emotion.

"What?!" Kise was beyond shocked, his irises blown wide.

"You heard me, Kise. You are not to meet him again."

"What the hell? Aominecchi you can't ask me to do that." Kise was now starting to get annoyed as well. "I don't need your permission fo-"

"Yes! Yes, you do! I'm your fucking boyfriend! You. Are. Not. Allowed. Near. Him. Anymore."

"What the- You can't control who I meet, you can't attempt to control me like this."

"Fuck!" Aomine felt his heart drop. "God damn it, Kise! That fucking shorty is too close to you. I hate it when he's even around you. So, why can't you just listen to me?"

"Listen to what exactly? You can't possibly expect me to comply with you on this. Do you know how unreasonable you sound? I-"

"I don't care-"

"I'm not finished, Aominecchi!" Kise balled his fists. "Kasamatsu-senpai is not just my senpai, he's also my friend. He's a friend to me and my sister. He's supported me and guided me throughout this year. And I'm sure he will do that for as long as he can."

He took a deep breath and continued, "And senpai is someone I look up to. I won't have you insult him like this. So stop talking about him with such hatred."

 _Someone who he looks up to?_ Aomine felt a thousand needles pricking his heart. Hasn't that always been Aomine? Hasn't Kise always followed him around, practically declaring to everybody how much he admires him, how much he looks up to _him_? His stomach twisted in painful knots. His clenched fists were now starting to get painful as he dug fingernails into his palm.

Aomine knows how well Kasamatsu has supported him, he knows it so well. Since Kise had transferred to Kaijō, Kasamatsu had been there with him, cheered him up, truly supported him and picked him up when he was down, something which Aomine had wanted to do. _And now he has started looking up to him?_ A dark aura was soon engulfing him.

"Someone you look up to?" Aomine repeated the words dangerously. His throat was getting parched and he swallowed thickly. "You look up to him now? I don't care even if you do look up to him. He-"

"Then maybe you should care." Kise cut him off, his tone surprisingly calm. "I don't understand why you're so angry. But I'll have you know you can't tell me who to meet and whom not to meet." He, himself, was growing angry now.

He was suddenly thrown in a state of turmoil. No matter how much he likes Aomine, he wouldn't let him demand ludicrous things from him. "Even if you are my boyfriend, you can't expect me to follow your orders like some dog! And yes, I do admire him and he is indeed close to me, but that doesn't-"

"Oh! I see how it is, you are now defending him." Aomine interrupted, his voice thick with emotion.

"Wha-" Kise began,

Only to be interrupted again. "You have been with him since you transferred to Kaijō, right? Does he have the hots for you? How do you feel about him?" Aomine's pulse raced as his mind kept on imagining repugnant things.

"Aom-"

"Or did you lie to me when you said you liked me?" He laughed, a laugh so toxic and bitter, a chill ran down Kise's spine. "Tell me Kise, were those kisses you gave me meant for him? Whatever you said to me, were all those just a bunch of sweet lies?" His heart hurt from his very own words. "Tell me, did you kiss him the way you kissed me?" He paused. "Or was it the other way around; Have you kissed me the way you kiss him?" Aomine let out another mock chuckle. "Did you let him touch you? Or did you guys do that already?" His head was spinning, was even aware of what he was saying? No, he wasn't. "Did you let him fuck y-"

"AOMINECCHI!" Kise yelled in complete disbelief. And he let his cry of scream linger in the upcoming silence.

Aomine's eyes widened and he immediately went quiet. A chill ran down his spine, he had never heard Kise yell like that before, with so much fierce aggressiveness, it left him flabbergasted. He soon realized Kise was extremely angry just like he was right now. He also came to a realization that Kise is hurt with his own words, words he had uttered out of the hideous emotions inhibiting inside him now and, though it wasn't quite evident, it actually sent another sharp pang through his heart. However, this slight pain is no match with the breaking sensation he's feeling on his chest every time he imagines Kise being with Kasamatsu, spending time and having fun of their own.

And heavy silence hung between them; the kind of silence Aomine feared would swallow him up.

On the other end, Kise couldn't believe what Aomine had just said, couldn't believe what Aomine was about to say.

All of those things Kise had said to him before, weren't some caught-up-in-the-moment thing, they weren't shallow neither were they frivolous. Those were his true feelings, his heartfelt emotions. _It is because of the anger Aominecchi is saying such things? Or had he always thought so less of me? Of my feelings?_ He wished it was the former case but couldn't help thinking of how Aomine has perceived his emotions, in a way that twists his heart painfully. Tears almost welled up in his golden eyes but he fought hard to keep them at bay.

Furrowing his brows, he swallowed hard to get rid of the bitter lump in his throat and continued, "Are you crazy? What's wrong with you?" His face twisted into a forlorn expression. "How could you even think that?" He didn't want to hear anymore, anymore of whatever this was, anymore of whatever Aomine might just say next. Kise took a deep breath, and tried to calm his nerves.

The silence that followed Kise's miserable tone was enough to make Aomine's heart ache again.

Kise ground his teeth together and hissed, "Enough. It's _seriously_ enough now." The degree of hostility in Kise's voice didn't go undetected by Aomine. "I know you are not thinking straight. You aren't even giving me a proper reason for this outburst. When you _are_ ready to explain do call me. For now go cool down." Kise knew he wouldn't be able to keep up this conversation anymore. "I have to go work now, I'm hanging up."

"Kise-" Before Aomine could say anything, the continuous beep went off. He stared at his phone incredulously. He tried calling him again but Kise didn't pick up. Gritting his teeth, in frustration; he tugged at his hair tightly, having a strong urge to kick something or at least throw his phone to vent out his anger. _Fuckin' hell..._ He groaned angrily. He didn't care if people were giving him disbelieving looks, all he could think of, in that moment was how he had saddened Kise but his obstinate mind kept on envisioning images of Kise being with Kasamatsu. _His_ Kise, his shoulders drooped.

* * *

 **AN: I know I don't have a lot of readers on this fiction, at least not on FF, I just wanted to convey that I recently edited this fiction. I just did some minor formatting changes. Honestly, I'm not too comfortable with FF as I find it restrictive, there are certain parts of the text that isn't displayed here, like Kise's emoji's, some characters are omitted, along with certain symbols and page breaks. It's kind of disappointing but oh well.**

 **And Thank you to people who are reading this fiction. Review and favorites are always appreciated. :)**


	19. Please

"Aomine, what the hell is wrong with you today?" Wakamatsu asked, with a scowl plastered on his face.

"What? Nothing's wrong." His face twisted into a scowl, much similar to Wakamatsu's.

"Nothing? Then what was that? Right when I was about to dunk, you stole the ball from me only to dunk it yourself!"

"So?" He cocked his eyebrow at him, irritated. "What's your point?"

"Then, what the hell was that? You did it before too, when Sakurai was about to shoot, you stole it and forced a dunk which was really unnecessary."

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Aomine-san, Wakamatsu-san, I'm really sorry! I-" And Sakurai's sorry rants started.

"God! Will you stop that, Sakurai?! It's not your fault." Wakamatsu sighed, glancing at him.

Aomine's facial expression stayed the same.

"Your play has been really rough today. All you're doing is making shots one by one and ignoring everybody else. You seem really angry and aggressive."

"I don't need you breathing down my neck, Wakamatsu. Just keep passing me the ball." He stated, grimacing.

"Wakamatsu is right, Aomine." The coach stepped in.

"You seem to be on the edge lately and you almost broke the rim today. Go out and cool yourself a little."

"But I-"

"Aomine, this is your coach's order." The firmness of his coach's voice and Wakamatsu's gaze made him comply.

He grumbled something incoherent under his breath as he trudged out of the gym.

Momoi seemed worried and asked, "What's wrong, Dai-chan?" Furrowing his brows, he said, "Nothing, Satsuki. Mind your own business," and with that he left the gym.

It has been a couple of days after his fight with Kise and his irritation has been visible to everybody.

The fight kept on replaying itself like a broken record in his mind. Kise's words kept on ringing in his mind, the way he said he respects Kasamatsu, the way he defended him, they way he said he admires him. Aomine's heart would fall into a piercing ache every time he would think of Kise choosing Kasamatsu over him.

He remembered the way Kise had sounded when his own mouth became his downfall, when he asked bitterly, had Kasamatsu laid a hand on Kise, and much to his dismay, his traitorous mind kept on conjuring stupid things. He _knew_ , his subconscious part knew very well there was _absolutely_ _nothing_ between them. But god damn it, he's a stupid human being. And much to his chagrin, his mouth kept on moving, uttering rubbish without a thought.

The same night, probably around the midnight hour, he sneaked out of his house with a Basketball in his hand and walked towards the same outdoor court, where he and Kise would usually play.

Upon reaching there, he noticed the area was lit only with a dim streetlight, but enough for him to see the hoop properly. It was too quiet and so very peaceful but the environment failed to calm him, it failed to soothe him. The air was slightly cold and the wind gushing through was sweet on his skin but _not_ on his heart. The shit wheel of emotions whirling inside of him made him grip the ball harder.

He began dribbling the ball and was quickly distracted. Making some of his signature moves, dunking and running around the court helped him in a way.

That night he vented out all of his anger by making shots over and over again, making dunks, formless shots, alley-ops, and all of the other moves.

He was frustrated with Kise and with Kasamatsu, but more than anything he was frustrated with himself.

 _How could I have talked to him like that?_ His emotions got the better of him and he ended up hurting Kise.

Somebody should have stopped or sealed his mouth shut before he uttered those words. He was thankful that Kise yelled at him, breaking his idiotic and hateful manner of speech.

The next day, he had seemed to dissipate. But he ended up skipping the practice and he found his feet dragging himself to the school's vacant swimming pool. He sat on the edge of the pool with his feet immersed in the water.

He stared at his reflection in the water. It was a calming atmosphere, a single soul wasn't there to disturb him and he let himself get carried away with his thoughts. A sigh escaped his lips; he wondered what the blond was doing right now. _Most probably at practice,_ he mused.

And as a matter of fact, Kise was indeed at practice. But his mind was occupied with Aomine and that stupid fight.

Kise has long learnt how to hide his feelings well, he would usually whine and gripe when something is remotely disagreeable to him but he knows well on how to keep a lid on himself in case of emotional pandemoniums. If Kasamatsu would have dropped by again, he knew, for sure, Kasamatsu would see right through him and for once, he was thankful that his former captain was nowhere to be seen. He scoffed at his own thoughts and pushed all of it away to concentrate better in the practice.

* * *

Skipping practice again, the following day, Aomine sauntered towards the rooftop. He was quick to lie down on the hard floor. He placed his hands on the back of his head and realized it has been quite a time since he visited the roof; the feeling was familiar and comforting. How many days had he spent on a rooftop, where loneliness and boredom crept and nestled inside of him? How many months? He wondered. Since he had started hanging out with Kise, everything had seemed to fall back into place.

As he stared at the bright blue sky over his head with no signs of clouds framing it, he squinted his eyes. The sun was dazzling as usual, the bright yellow sun, the shining rays and the way it brightened everything was warm to his skin. And his stupid mind quickly made a link between the huge shining star above him and a certain shining yellow star far away from him.

Like a stupid, bright and glowing star Kise is, he took away his boredom and loneliness only to illuminate his life with his own brand of sun-rays.

A smile graced his face as he was reminded of Teikō days; he remembered how Kise and he would skip classes, how they would play broom baseball or do some stupid stuff together or how they would eat together on the rooftop during breaks. Kise followed him everywhere like a puppy and he enjoyed every minute of it. He liked that stupid attention coming from him.

Thinking back to those old memories, he always knew he held a jealous and possessive streak within him, he never did like it when guys became chummy with him, he just never knew his emotions would burst out like this, never knew he would be so bitter.

He grumbled in slight annoyance.

Kise had been right, he could never attempt to control him, and neither can he demand things from him. It was plainly unjust.

The way he had accused Kise was downright disrespectful and wrong. He still didn't like Kasamatsu but he should have respected the fact that Kise respected him.

Pinching his brows into a scowl, he turned over.

He was suddenly come over with embarrassment, burying his head in his palms, he wanted to shout out how stupid he had been, how unfair he had been.

Back at the gym, Wakamatsu was getting irritated as Aomine kept on skipping practices. "Do you think we should tie him up and haul his ass back here? Or threaten him with his precious Mai-chan's magazine going up in flames?" He asked Momoi, exasperatedly.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Forcing him, wouldn't probably be advisable." She said. "He seems to be brooding over something and he is also avoiding talking to me. Don't worry, I'll corner him sometime into a confrontation." Her lips tugged upwards in a sly smile.

Another day came and soon Aomine found himself _sinking_ in the feeling of shame, sorrow, regret and guilt. He did attend the practice that day but his internal turmoil reflected during his practice. Instead of being rough and aggressive, he missed his shots and became languid in his movements.

Growing too frustrated with his inability to concentrate in the match, he gave up before half time. "I'm _done_ for now. I can't concentrate anymore." He declared but didn't meet with the confused gazes of his teammates. He stared at the ground beneath him and his shoulders slumped down, clearly showing his state of woefulness.

"Aomine, you need to get your shit together." Wakamatsu's tone was surprisingly gentle. There was something gravely affecting the ace, like Momoi had said, and he didn't like it. He was a little worried; he had never seen Aomine like this. The ever cocky, arrogant and smug Aomine now seemed depressed and for the first time ever he announced, 'He is _done_?' _Something's really wrong_.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Look, I don't know what is wrong but do take some time off. You are being so strange now-a-days."

Aomine didn't respond and Wakamatsu turned to look at Momoi desperately. He saw her gaze fixated on her childhood friend with an unreadable expression.

Excusing himself from the gym and, again wanting to be in a familiar state of solitariness, Aomine trotted towards the roof. He laid down in his usual stance and closed his eyes, hoping to take a nap, but was disturbed when a certain figure suddenly hovered above him, blackening his already black vision over his closed eyes.

He peeked at her and saw his childhood friend looming over him.

"Satsuki, I don't wanna talk. Leave me alone." He glowered, turning his face away from her.

"Dai-chan." Her voice was soft and pleading.

"You're blocking _the sun_. Move."

"What?"

"The sun. You're casting a shadow on me. At least stand over at the other side."

Momoi arched her brow confusedly, but she did as she was told.

"What are you here for?" Aomine asked, basking in the warmth of the sun above him, trying to use the sun to feel better, but failing to no extent.

"You look sad lately. What's wrong, Dai-chan?"

Aomine heaved a sigh. "I said, I don't wanna talk about it." But his miserable expression and crestfallen demeanour didn't stop Momoi from being determined.

"Fine. Don't tell me. I'll just stay here with you until then." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Letting out a groan, Aomine sat up, inwardly cursing her for disturbing his peaceful isolation. _No use running away from her anymore._

"I-I messed up." He chewed on his lower lip, not meeting her gaze.

"What did you do?"

"Ki-Kise, I kind of hurt him." A dull ache pierced through his heart again.

Momoi's brows knitted together. "What did you do, Dai-chan?" She looked askance at his dubious statement.

"I was just being extremely stupid, Satsuki. I got too jealous and ended up blurting some shit." His eyes were downcast and the expression he wore conveyed enough.

"He was with Kasamatsu, I got extremely angry and..." He trailed off, not wanting to say anymore.

"And what?" She asked, indignantly.

Turning his head away from her, he spoke, "I told him not to meet Kasamatsu anymore and that he wasn't allowed to because I'm his boyfriend." He heard an audible gasp in return. "But damn! I was just _so_ angry! I wasn't thinking Satsuki! I was just blinded by rage and jealousy, and then I ended up saying more hurtful shit to him." At that moment, he just wanted to go crawl in a hole and die somewhere.

"Dai-chan, _how_ could you say that to Ki-chan?!" And now she was peeved with him. She couldn't believe him.

"I was just so angry."

"Are you really _that_ stupid? You can't ask that of him. It's like, like, Ki-chan asking you to stop hanging out with me! Although it's not exactly the same but you know what I mean. And unlike you, he has brains and he would never do that." Her voice raised an octave and a fierce frown settled on her features. "What happened then?" She asked.

"Like I said, I, somehow, got carried away and said more shitty things to him. He then shouted and hung up on me." He lamented.

"Wow! I don't know the entire story but from the sound of it, you messed up real bad."

"Yeah, I did." Aomine ground his teeth, feeling a stab of guilt gnaw at him.

"Dai-chan, this is not how relationships work. You cannot demand such things from your partner, and I'm only just taking a blind shot here but I'll tell you, you cannot say whatever it is that you've said to him before he was forced to hang up." She chastised.

"Look, I know what I did was wrong."

"You don't say!"

"But, I-I just... God damn it! I don't know what to do, Satsuki."

"Apologize to him."

"Oh wow! What a genius idea! I never even thought of that." He scoffed.

"I don't need your sarcasm right now, Dai-chan."

Said person exhaled briefly before getting up on his feet. "I know, I have to apologize, I'm just a little scared whether he will forgive me."

"Dai-chan..." Her face softened up. She noted how insecure he sounds right now and realized that Kise grounds him to Earth.

"Of course, he will. Ki-chan has a big heart and he'll certainly understand if you explain everything to him." Aomine grunted in reply, foretelling Momoi's word over him.

Momoi stared at him, contemplating.

"Listen, Dai-chan, Ki-chan and you are the opposites of each other. That means your personalities clash. On one hand, Ki-chan is bubbly and vibrant, and on the other, well, you are...uh, well, _you."_ She scratched her cheek.

Aomine's face twisted into a scowl. "You're not helping, Satsuki."

"What I mean to say is that communication is a must between you two. Generally it is important in relationships." She sighed. "Both of your minds work in a different way and since you both are very different people, you have to let the other know about you, you have to _open up_ , you have to _talk_." She further stated, "Or else there will be a lot of misunderstandings and in the end both of you will get hurt, and sometimes there is no space for recovery."

Glancing at her, he conceded. "Yeah, I kind of picked up on it during this entire mess."

He breathed in the warm sunny air but he still couldn't get over the fact that he did something gravely stupid.

"Do confront him, Dai-chan." She smiled at him.

"It's _not_ a matter of confrontation but conversation, Satsuki."

Her brows lifted up. "Wow, that's rather profound coming from you." She snickered a little.

"Shut up, Satsuki." He turned away, sulking like a child.

"When did you have this fight with Ki-chan?"

"Like four days ago..." He answered, recalling the bitter conversation.

She hummed. "Talk to Ki-chan. Things will be fine."

"Yeah, hope so..." He drawled.

"And if you fail now and end up hurting Ki-chan again, then who knows _what might happen_ , _Aomine Daiki._ " Her eyes glinted dangerously and the way she said his full name was enough to get the message across. A strange smile played on her face, a smile that was downright deadly and scary that caused Aomine to shudder in horror. This is a sight he never knew about her, until now.

He backed away from her a little, witnessing the aura she possessed around her. She might even give Satan a scare at this rate.

He gave a tentative but a sharp nod, not ever wanting to face her wrath.

Soon, her expression changed too quickly into a normal smile, leaving Aomine rooted on the spot. "Now that I have given you my precious advice, buy me something to eat, I'm hungry."

"God damn it, Satsuki!" He rubbed his temples.

"Oh, come on."

"Che! I'll buy you something cheap from the cafeteria."

"If I were Ki-chan, you would have spent a lot of money on me!"

"Well, Kise is Kise and you're not Kise."

"How stingy!" She pouted.

 _Aomine_ clicked his tongue again.

* * *

For a while, Kise couldn't figure it out, for the life of him, why the hell did his boyfriend acted brashly?

It was _all_ an epiphany to him; he realized it in the middle of the day, while he was at school, almost dozing off in a particular boring lecture. While he was immersed in his thoughts and in between light haziness of sleep, the reality struck him. It took him nearly three days to realize that Aomine was jealous. He didn't know how he came up to the conclusion but he somehow did.

Upon realizing the fact, he almost bolted up from his seat but he instantly glanced around and noted he was in a class. He's smart at things like sports and dumb at things like feelings. Although, he is a person who is honest with himself, he is also a person who sometimes can't take a hint.

Therefore, for a while, he sat there pondering. Aomine was jealous, jealous... _jealous_. It took a moment for him to sink the truth in. Placing a hand over his mouth, he was conflicted for a while, he was gleeful to find that he had gotten jealous but the next moment, his face fell as he recollected his words.

Gleeful to see Aomine get jealous and somehow, he would have found it cute but he couldn't bring himself to feel that way, when his words surged through his brain like poignant acid.

But being jealous of Kasamatsu-senpai, of all people, was something he would have never guessed.

Heaving a sigh, he slumped on his seat and let his head rest on his folded arms atop his desk.

Jealousy _isn't_ something he is unfamiliar with, he has experienced that emotion too; albeit, it was nothing too extreme like Aomine had manifested. But he knew all too well, he would never demonstrate such behaviour.

 _A total aho..._ He shook his head, incredulously.

* * *

Lying in his bed, in the evening, Aomine called him on his phone but was slightly disappointed when he didn't pick up. He thought he must be at his job and left it at that.

Kise frowned when he saw the incoming call of Aomine's but he didn't pick up. He was indeed at work, albeit on a short break but wasn't in the mood to talk to him. The fact that Aomine hadn't contacted him for more than a couple of days left a bitter taste in his mouth, he wasn't going to forgive him any sooner but he would have definitely appreciated his early efforts. With an ugly crease on his forehead, he grumbled incomprehensibly along the lines of — _Go to hell_ _Stupid, Jerk, Aho, Idiot, Baka,_ before tucking his phone away.

Aomine tried calling him again later, but to no avail. For the next couple of days, he tried frequently but there was no response, whatsoever.

In the middle of his photoshoot, Kise's phone rang again, loudly. He scrambled off and took out his phone and switched it to silent mode. Muttering apologies to everyone, he resumed to his work.

At night, Aomine called him again.

Getting fed up, Kise dropped a text.

 **"Stop calling me."**

Aomine's eyes lit up, even after seeing a disapproving text from Kise.

 **"Please, pick up. I want to talk."**

 **"No."**

 **"Please, Kise..."**

 **"Aomine, leave me the fuck alone!"** Kise clenched his fists, he really had no intention of entertaining Aomine.

Aomine gaped at the text. _Aomine? He called me Aomine?_ Panic almost settled in his heart. Kise had never called him using his only last name. Never. The drop of the 'cchi' at the end made his heart throb painfully. Never had he known that the lack of the 'cchi' would make him feel like this.

 **"Kise, please...Please talk to me."**

**"Did you forget what you said to me? You tried to use your position as a boyfriend to restrain me, you were yelling so much, told me that my feelings were a lie, implied that I have relations with Kasamatsu-senpai. You were a big jerk. Just leave me alone."**

 **"I get it, you're angry. You have every right to. I'm sorry, okay? But please, just let me talk to you once. Just hear me out."**

He received no text in return and he found himself missing those stupid emojis he usually used.

Getting disheartened, he obeyed Kise, he didn't text him. But only for that day, he wasn't going to let up unless and until he gets to talk to him.

The next day Aomine walked up to Momoi during lunch. "Hey..." His sad, pathetic and depressed baritone _almost_ went unheard by her. "Oh, Dai-chan. Did you talk to Ki-chan yet?"

"He called me Aomine. He freakin' called me Aomine. He has _never_ done that before." His entire face fell down.

Momoi seemed to be taken aback. "Oh my god, what have you done, Dai-chan? That lack of suffix must mean that Ki-chan is _really_ mad at you."

"Well, he has every right to be mad at me." His grim reply heaved a sigh from Momoi.

For the next couple of days, Aomine called him up every chance he got. But never did once Kise picked up.

So he opted to text him again and again...

* * *

 **Friday:**

 **12.34pm: Kise, please talk to me. Please pick up one of my calls**

 **1.25pm: I want to talk to you**

 **3.36pm: I was a big ass idiot**

 **8.31pm: Damn it, Kise! I'm sorry**

 **11.34pm: I'm so very sorry, okay?**

 **1.20am: I was an asshole, please talk to me**

No reply.

 **Saturday:**

 **8.32am: Kise, morning! Please just talk to me**

 **10.38am: I'm extremely sorry**

 **12.37pm: I'm sorry. Fuck, please...Kise**

 **5.35pm: Please, Kise...**

 **7.39pm: I was a huge idiot, I'm sorry**

 **12.38am: I'm sorry**

 **Sunday:**

 **12.30pm: Morning, I just woke up. Please talk to me**

 **1.55pm: I'm sorry, Kise, please...**

 **3.49pm: Fuck! Kise, I miss you!**

Kise's jaw clenched in anger, this guy has the nerve to say that.

 **5.38pm: Shit! I miss your voice**

 **8.44pm: Kise, I'm really sorry about that day! Please talk to me**

 **11.37pm: Damn it! This was such a boring Sunday without you. I miss you**

 _What is he trying to achieve? Butter me up? That's not gonna work._

Kise hardened himself, not wanting to melt by his words.

 **Monday:**

 **7.30am: Fuck, I hate Monday mornings but damn it, every sunrise reminds me of you and my spirits lift up. Please just...talk to me. I really miss you**

Kise pulled a face. _From where is he spouting such lines? It's so unlike him._

 **10.30am: I'm sorry. Please talk to me. I was a huge asshole. I miss you so much**

 **Received from Kise:**

 **11.45am: No, you don't get to do that**

 **Sent to Kise:**

 **11.46am: Kise you replied! Please talk to me...Please pick up my call**

Aomine felt his heart swell up.

 **Received from Kise:**

 **12.01pm: No, I won't and you don't get to act sweet. You are being unfair. If you think sweet talking will get me to forgive you, then you have another thing coming! Your sweet words make me feel like you aren't serious. What you said and did that day was really so shocking, you have no idea how I felt. You have no idea how I feel... You have no idea how you made me feel**

Swallowing the bitter bile in his throat, Kise gripped his phone tightly.

 **Sent to Kise:**

 **12.02pm: Fuck, I'm sorry, okay? I really am so sorry, Kise. I truly regret my actions. And I am serious. I really am and I mean everything that I said in these texts. Just talk to me once**

 **3.38pm: I'm truly sorry. Will you please meet me and let me clear things face-to-face?**

 **Received from Kise:**

 **4.30pm: What? Are you serious? I am so angry at you, I don't even want to see you**

 **Sent to Kise:**

 **4.31pm: Oh...**

Okay, that may have stung Aomine a little.

 **4.31 pm: I see...ok**

 **8.30pm: But Kise, please...just once**

 **10.30pm: Please? I'm sorry okay? I'm so very sorry :(**

* * *

Kise frowned and slumped on his bed and let his body relax in the soft mattress. He grabbed his phone to scroll through all the messages Aomine had sent him. Although he was mad at him, he was at a loss, loss at what to do. Ignoring Aomine had done nothing to dissipate his disgruntlement; instead it served as a cruel reminder of the bitter evening.

Sometimes, he thought maybe the fight wasn't _that_ bad and _maybe_ he's exaggerating the intensity of it. But every time he would think of the way Aomine acted, yelled, muttering those hateful things, it would make him _question_ things, unwillingly. And every time his phone beeped, it would be Aomine and his expression would turn sour.

He wanted to talk to someone, but he didn't know who he could count on. He can't ask his sister, she would suddenly link everything to Aomine, in an annoyingly accurate way. He can't tell Kasamatsu, they are close but he wasn't sure what his former captain might say. After all, he hadn't conveyed a substantial opinion of his relationship with Aomine.

Letting out a grumble, he felt lonely in the fleeting moment. And suddenly, there was a painful tightening in his rib cage. But he knew he would never bother others with his distress. He would rather put on a stupid smile and act like nothing has happened.

His phone beeped again, and saw another sorry message by him. He wanted to turn his phone off; he really wanted to but he knew he couldn't. He heaved a tired sigh.

His work requires him to keep his phone on, all the damn time. Being a model, his manager calls him to inform about his schedule, about the interviews and photo shoots he has lined up. His manager even calls him at night if there is an opening for gig and then, at times, there are calls from the agency, calls about cancellations, modifications, coupled with other things. And even if he did turn his phone off, his manager will hunt him down to kill him.

Kise didn't bother to pay attention to Aomine and threw his phone away softly, the device landing on the corner of his bed.

He soon fell asleep, too exhausted to even keep his eyes open.

And then, Monday came and gone and so did Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and the tiring week came to an end. Aomine had gotten desperate during the time, he even thought of going to Kaijō but held back, recalling how Kise said he didn't want to see him.

 **Tuesday:**

 **10.30am: Kise, please I beg you. Please talk to me. I really regret that day. Please...fuck!**

 **1.38pm: I'm just so sorry. It has been way too many days since we haven't talked. I really feel bad about everything. Please just talk to me**

 **4.16pm: I'm sorry. I was stupid, I was an idiot. Kise, I'm begging here, please just one phone call**

 **8.08pm: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry. Please Kise, please talk to me. Please please please please please. Fuck I'm too desperate**

 **8.25pm: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry**

 **8.37pm: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry please talk to me**

 **10.26pm: I'm sorry I'm sorry please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please**

 **Received from Kise:**

 **10.47pm: Knock it off! Stop acting like a little kid!**

 **Sent to Kise:**

 **10.49pm: Kise, I'll keep texting you until you agree to talk to me. Please give me just one chance to talk. Just once let me explain things. Let me make things clear between us. Please. It has been two weeks since you've been dodging my calls and texts, please pick up my call. Please. I beg you**

A groan left from Kise. Aomine was going to be adamant, he knew very well. Exhaling in defeat, he decided to agree.

 **Received from Kise:**

 **11.00pm: Okay, I'll pick it up**

And with that, his phone rang.

* * *

(TBC)


	20. Insecurities

**"I'll pick up your call"**

And with that Kise's phone chimed.

He swiped his finger across the screen to answer the call.

Placing his phone against his ear, he heard Aomine say, "hey," in his usual deep and gruff voice.

Kise responded with the same.

"So, wassup? What are you doing?" Aomine asked lamely and nonchalantly.

Bad idea.

As his offhanded question inevitably annoyed Kise, creating an urge to materialize through the phone to place a smack across head.

"Wassup? What am I doing? If _this_ is how you wanna start our conversation with, then I have no interest in talking to you." He snapped.

"Okay, okay. Geez... I wasn't..." Aomine quickly said, "I-I just wanted to break the ice or something..." This was pretty nerve-wracking since he didn't want to screw up.

Kise let out a sigh, softly yet loud enough for him to hear. "I get it." He empathized. "Well, to answer your question, I'm just lying on my bed and talking to you now." He knew he didn't have to answer but he opted to humour him.

"Hmm..." Aomine paused momentarily. "Kise..." He uttered his name softly and quietly, so quiet that it almost blended into the tranquillity of the night.

"I-I don't know where to begin." He felt stupid. He did say he wanted to talk but his nerves were greatly frayed.

Exhaling a gentle puff of a breath, Kise rolled over on his bed. "Well, how about from the start?" The degree of distress in Aomine's tone compelled Kise to put him at ease. "What the hell happened that day?"

"I was jealous..." Aomine trailed off, furrowing his brows.

Kise scoffed lightly into the call. "Yeah, I gathered that." _In hindsight,_ he thought.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he remembered that evening, that conversation which was the root cause of the stress that shrouded over him. "But the way you talked to me was inexcusable."

Guilt gnawed through Aomine, eating away his hopes of getting Kise to forgive him.

He doesn't want to be controlling or a stifling boyfriend, he doesn't want Kise to feel pressured and he doesn't want to sadden Kise any further. "Yes, I realized that and I'm sorry, Kise." Bona fide laced his tone.

Kise went quiet after hearing his sincere and heartfelt apology. He could tell Aomine had reflected on his actions. But the apology wasn't enough. He was still angry and hurt over it. He wanted an explanation.

"You think a mere apology is going to make me forgive you?" He sounded rather cold and sharp which obviously didn't go undetected by Aomine.

"What? No, Kise. I..." Aomine almost panicked.

Kise inhaled deeply to calm his nerves.

He opened his mouth to speak but Aomine beat him to it, "It's ju-just that Kasamatsu... I'm kind of envious of him..."

"Why?" Kise's tone was soft and curious and confused. _Why Kasamatsu-senpai?_

There was a pregnant silence between them for a moment, until he heard Aomine grumbling slightly.

"Back in Teiko, you and I... How do I put this? Uh, you admired me greatly and you somewhat relied on me, right? We both were good friends and I don't know, I guess I liked being your friend. You paid a lot of attention to me and I kind of...did not... dislike it..." He admitted bashfully, rubbing his nape.

Kise's eyes widened in surprise. _Kind of...did not...dislike it?_ Aomine's words sunk into his mind and the underlying obviousness hit him.

Although, Aomine had decided to openly talk with him, he wasn't aware he'd have to actually spill his guts out. His pride was on the line here and yet, as he recalled the memories, a little fond albeit a sad smile played on the corner of his lips.

"Wait...what? Really?" Kise seemed confounded at the unexpected revelation, this then made the tensed conversation a while ago a little lighter. "You're saying that you didn't dislike such behaviour of mine? T-That's really surprising."

The fact that Aomine had liked his attention sent a swell up his heart, since he knew the amount of clinginess he possesses usually annoys people to no extent, and Aomine was no exception. Therefore, hearing him say he liked this particular quirky demeanour of his was _highly_ unexpected for him.

For Aomine to admit such a thing wouldn't have been easy, he mused and yet, here he was saying it. Kise wondered how much Aomine had to swallow his pride to say it. He found his lips tugging upwards to frame a faint smile.

Aomine will never cease to surprise him.

"Hah! Don't read too much into it." Aomine chuckled lightly. He was aware that he still likes that stupid behaviour and yet, " 'Cuz you're still an annoying little brat!" he could not let Kise have the satisfaction anyhow.

"Hey!" Kise's lips circled into a protesting pout, he knew Aomine was teasing him.

Aomine chortled slightly in response.

But _this_ is who Aomine is, the one who will say saccharine things only to cover up his embarrassment by adding something that would not put him on a high pedestal.

He had admitted that he is fond of it, but he would never admit as to why such was the case.

Kise's obstinate attitude in turn makes him experience a lot of things, he pushes him forward to try new things, and Kise isn't afraid to become more annoying and persistent if he really wants something. And _that_ is something he is grateful for, but then again, he wouldn't ever admit it, probably not even to himself. Candidly speaking, Aomine loves his stubbornness.

Kise has got that fiery determination which Aomine just can't resist.

"Anyway, after graduation, we lost contact, Kise," he began again. "I guess I'm the one to blame for that." A feeble smile covered his face, partly painful and partly rueful. "Then, you were scouted and transferred to Kaijō, which I know was inevitable. I honestly never thought much of it but I guess the notion of someone coming along the way to support and cheer you up, never crossed my mind. Because I, subconsciously, felt like that was _my_ place. I'm aware that it was reasonable when Kasamatsu did those things for you...but-" His heart began doing that weird painful shit again.

"But senpai is just..." Kise dwindled. Kasamatsu is indeed supportive but it doesn't mean he could be the only one.

"I know. I know, Kise. Just hear me out, and then you can say anything you want." Aomine said upright.

"Alright." He agreed.

Mustering up all his courage whilst putting his ego aside, Aomine took a deep breath. "I think it all started during our inter-high match. I realized you stopped admiring me in order to surpass me and _that_ was something I could never even dream of. I thought you'll _forever_ admire me."

Aomine thrives off of Kise's admiration for him. Being his idol over the years fuelled myriad number of feelings he had held. And he simply couldn't bring himself to accept that the feeling he had grown to take pride over, came to an abrupt stop.

"Afterwards, Kasamatsu came..." He continued. "He was the one who grabbed your hand to help you up. I was honestly shocked and kind of became really, _really_ jealous and kind of hurt at that moment. I mean I could have helped you but I felt it would have been wrong of me to do that." He started to remember what he felt during that match, vividly. He remembers clenching his fists while his heart thundered in agony as the scene unfolded in front of his eyes.

The newly strong and strange sense of impending jealousy, frustration and agitation distorted him for days and days.

"Why did you think that it was wrong of you?" Kise inquired softly.

"Because, well... A winner has nothing to say to a loser. If I did help you, it'd look like I pitied you and I don't do that. I could never pity you. I thought if I helped you, it would seem insulting and moreover, I thought it was not my place to comfort you. I faced you as an opponent and I could only treat you like one."

Kise blinked as the understanding dawned on him. That match was pretty stupendous as well as emotional to him. He was excited, too enthusiastic, the adrenaline was coursing through his veins. He wanted to win — win so badly, he had given it his all.

He would be lying if he said he didn't want Aomine to offer his help.

In the end, he doesn't remember Aomine standing in front of him.

He remembered feeling _pathetic_ _and_ _weak_.

He remembered Kasamatsu offering his hand and picking him up after his legs gave out.

He remembered how much he had practiced in order to win, but then again, he wasn't strong enough.

He wondered for days how it would have felt if the offered hand was a tanned one.

He wondered for a long time whether Aomine had been looking down on him since he had lost the match he had so determinedly announced he will win.

He thought he had let Aomine down.

He thought he could finally beat Aomine and _finally_ be equal with him, finally be a worthy opponent for him.

Kise always, always, always has been trying to catch up to him. And he tries to, even today.

But as soon as Aomine said he can't ever pity him, he fathomed his emotions.

From one opponent to another, from a former teammate to another, from one friend to another, he could completely grasp Aomine's reasoning.

"I see. I understand," was all he could respond.

Aomine's lips curled into a smile, he was happy Kise has understood and didn't feel upset. "Later, I saw you interacting with him every now and then, and I noticed how he looks after you. He bullies you often but it's really clear that he understands and supports you, _even_ emotionally. H-his words are alone enough to bring a smile to your face, enough to stop your tears." He croaked out.

"I mean that, _that_ is maybe what a senpai does, I don't know; I had a very different kind of a senpai." There was an involuntary grimace on his face when Imayoshi's face flashed through his mind.

"Anyway, just watching you two together, the way you guys interacted...kind of made my heart hurt. I slowly came to the realization that you are really dependable on him. You are more dependable on him than you ever were, on me. Fuck, um...it just made me feel like I'm being left behind. I-I don't know... You cry, you laugh, you whine and smile with him, I was reminded how those expressions of yours were directed towards me. I don't know how to describe that feeling, but it just felt awful..." He chuckled painfully as he felt downhearted, like all his feelings and frustrations have revived and spread up and surged through him. The bitter memories began flowing through him. His hands felt a little shaky, his chest a little tight and he clenched his grip on a Basketball he had been holding. He was feeling jealous at the very moment he was expressing himself. But rather than a heavy sensation of jealousy, sadness seemed to dominate him.

"Then again, at Seirin vs Kaijō match," Aomine continued, as he began recalling the events. "He was there for you. And I really wanted to climb down the stands and put your arm around my shoulder to help you. I simply wanted to do something, _anything_ for you, Kise. But then I saw Kasamatsu comforting you, something that I wanted to do by myself. I just felt like...like, I don't know, maybe, again kind of hurt, I was really jealous though." He let out an aching laugh which sent a pang through Kise's heart. "I felt so many things at once; I don't even know how to put them in words." _Words are hard,_ he mused.

Aomine's words tugged at his heart.

Kise wasn't aware that Aomine had come watch the match. Closing his eyes, the match flashed through his brain. He remembers it, like it was yesterday. _So, Aominecchi had wished he was there instead of senpai? Ah, damn it!_ His heart was clenching and twisting into knots.

He was reminded of the time he wanted to be Aomine's motivation when he was down in his slumps. He realized; he and Aomine, both wanted to offer their hands for support and yet, both couldn't offer it.

After a short pause, Aomine continued again, "After I contacted you, we started hanging out together again. I was ecstatic to have you back with me once more. I forgot all of those petty emotions I held. But as time passed by, you told me that Kasamatsu hangs with you outside of school, and he even became friends with your sister, and all of that just made me remember things and I felt like shit, Kise."

Letting his words linger in the silence that hung between them, he asked with a broken smile, "Do you remember I used to hang out with you at your parent's house?"

"Of course, I do. How could I forget?" Kise answered, affectionately.

Aomine used to come over — sometimes with Kuroko to play video games, watch movies, have sleepovers, teasing and fun galore.

"Yeah, after hearing about Kasamatsu, it made me wish that if only I were with you instead of him, who hung out at your apartment with you and your sister. Before, it was me who received your countless expressions, me who received your different kinds of smiles, it was me who had dinner with you, me who your sister befriended with, it was me... _All_ of it was me and suddenly Kasamatsu came to steal everything. I _just wish_ it _were me_ again to receive and share everything with you. Knowing that in such a short period of time, he wormed his way into your family kind of hit me hard, you know?" He wondered if he sounds pathetic and petty saying all these things. But he knew if he never said them, things might take a turn for worse.

At this very moment, Kise realized Aomine treasures their friendship aplenty. He never knew Aomine held such deep-rooted feelings towards him, neither did he know Aomine had been craving for his friendship, his company, _him_.

Aomine swallowed down the severe sensation of despair gushing in him. "Fuck, Kise. I, for a moment, thought you were _stolen_ from _me_ and it frustrated me to no fuckin' end. I mean, I know you were never mine but just our friendship, our laughs, our silly fights, our stupid moments, _our everything_ , was suddenly _only_ a part of the past and it made me just sad, made me feel dejected. I felt like I am being replaced through and through. Like you two have built your own world and I am nowhere to be found, except, for maybe _in the past_." He blurted out the last sentence from the depths of his stomach. Those words felt like they were twisting around his throat like a noose, choking him effortlessly.

"Everything just scared the shit out of me when the thought — I had lost you to him — crossed my mind."

Taking a deep breath, he inquired, "Are you listening to me, Kise?"

"Of course, you idiot." Kise sounded fond. "You told me to listen to your part so I'm being patient."

There was a subdued smile on Aomine's face. "And on the call that day, I think I just snapped. Just _all_ of my frustrations, jealousy and anger came out and it exploded. I never thought that — _that_ would happen, Kise. And then you told me that you respect and admire him, which made me lose control even further as I thought that I was proven right. I couldn't stop myself, couldn't stop my anger which resulted into me acting that way. And fuck! I regretted it so much. I'm so sorry Kise. I just... I was too much of an idiot and I knew I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. I'm so fuckin' sorry. I- I just-" He stopped abruptly. He didn't know what to say anymore, didn't know how to get his apology across, didn't know how to convey himself properly.

Just saying everything in a go was overwhelming for him and he feared what Kise would think or say next.

Expressing and saying emotional shit isn't his forte. He only wished he was a social butterfly like Kise, to whom everything comes naturally. Or he wished that this is Basketball. Basketball was like breathing air to him.

As Kise stayed pensive for a while, he comprehended this is what Aomine has been feeling up until now. He had bottled up everything. It must have been difficult for him, to feel this way, he thought, feeling his chest tighten painfully.

There was a little tinge of tears forming at the back of his eyes. But he refrained from letting them cascade down his face.

"Aominecchi..." He murmured into the call.

Aomine's breath hitched instantly upon hearing his last name with the much missed suffix.

"You called me _Aominecchi_." Relief washed over him and his lips stretched upwards into a smile.

"Eh?" Kise asked, confusedly.

"Because in one of the texts, you called me Aomine."

"Oh. Uh, yeah, I did. I was just pissed off at you."

"Yeah, I know. I'm happy to hear you call me that, Kise."

A soft smile tugged on Kise's face. No matter what Aomine did or said Kise knew he was just too enamoured with him. "Don't worry. I still respect and like you, Aominecchi." He knew he was gone in way too deep from the moment he saw Aomine play Basketball for the very first time.

Aomine felt his body grow warm from his words. "And, hey, I wanted to clear something else."

"What is it?" Kise questioned.

"I know I come off as a strongly possessive boyfriend because sometimes I can't help it. B-because, well, whenever I see someone get too close to you, I get jealous."

"So... It's not just Kasamatsu senpai?" Kise's brows lifted up. _Just how much jealousy runs through this guy?_

"Well, Kasamatsu is different in a way. He's your _special_ senpai." Aomine said, rolling his eyes. There was no bitterness to his tone; instead just a playful taunt laced it.

"Then what if someone other than you, actually gets too close to me? Or even kisses me? What would you do?" Kise smirked, his lips twitching upwards in amusement.

Aomine grumbled darkly. "Don't play with fire, Kise." He knew the question was insouciantly asked.

"Ooh, Aominecchi's scary." Kise cooed. "But seriously, what would happen?" Apparently, he _did_ like to play with fire.

 _The nerve of the little brat._

"Ah, then that person might not live to see the next morning." Aomine responded dryly.

"Whoa, you don't mean that do you?"

"Heh! Who knows?" Aomine smirked.

"What?" Kise's smile faltered.

"Geez, Kise, what you think I am? I'm not some kind of a psychopath who would go on a killing spree just like that."

Kise released a voiceless laugh. "Well, you can rest easy, Aominecchi. I'll be damned if someone even tries to. I'm not going to let anyone just do whatever they want with me."

"Damn right, you won't! The only one who can kiss you is me." He grinned smugly.

Kise deadpanned at his highly characteristic statement. But he could only roll his eyes and sigh heavily in response.

Letting out a breathy laugh, at the audible sigh of his boyfriend, Aomine said further, "Apart from that, you see, you are a model and you're practically Japan's heart-throb, so I think no matter what I do, no matter how many times I tell you 'you're mine,' no matter how many hickeys I leave on you, I feel like you will never _completely_ be mine. I mean, I don't think of you as a property or anything but it's just..." Aomine paused, _there has to be a better way to say these things_.

"I-I don't know, you belong to the public, Kise. You have crazy amount of fan girls, people love you and everybody watches you so I just feel...man, I don't know, I don't have the right word for it. I don't know how to describe it...but I guess, helpless? It's also kind of frustrating, I guess." A dispirited smile broke out on his face.

"Anyway, I feel like, like, I can never have you for myself. I'm aware I can never ask you to stop modelling, I admire that you are hardworking. I admire how you give your best at your job. I really like how you juggle your work, school and Basketball and me, and yet, you can still be so vibrant. And you have been doing all of that since middle school. You honestly amaze me. I don't know how you do all of that, don't know how you keep up with everything. You always give your best at everything and yet, sometimes, I can't help but feel that I will never receive your everything." He exhaled briefly.

"Shit, I'm so sorry, I'm really bad at this..." A painful laugh escaped from his throat. "I'm sorry, my thoughts and feelings are all over the place."

Kise didn't know what to think anymore. Aomine's words rendered him utterly inarticulate. He had never thought that his lifestyle could have such a huge impact on Aomine.

Aomine was just too much for his heart as it grew too warm with his earnest feelings.

"Aominecchi, give yourself some credit," came Kise's quick reply. "I understood everything. I just...never knew you felt this way..." He clutched on the pillow he laid his head on. He had a strong desire to run towards Aomine and pull him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Yeah, well, I never told you." Aomine's expression fell down. "These things sound petty, right? Man, I must sound so uncool right now." A chuckle left past his lips again.

"No, you don't and they aren't," Kise began, "Aominecchi, your emotions, your feelings, what you feel towards me, for me...they aren't petty at all. I will never consider anything related to you — petty. Nothing about you is ever petty. So don't say such stuff." Seriousness emanated from his voice.

All of these things, Kise never knew, were suddenly out in the open. They were a little overwhelming but he felt happy Aomine had shared his feelings.

He thought, maybe he has been too daft to not to notice the whirlwind inside of him and he silently made a decision to watch him even more closely.

"And also, like you said, my behaviour was inexcusable." A gruff voice interrupted his musings. "No matter what I feel, no matter what the issue was, no matter whatever the problem was, my behaviour was the worst, Kise. And I know it was extremely wrong of me to demand you to not meet him, it was extremely wrong of me to just vent out my anger and frustrations on you." He sounded regretful.

"I really am so sorry, Kise." Aomine said clearly, his words a silent plea requesting for forgiveness.

Kise is not used to Aomine confessing his innermost feelings, that signals to borderline insecurities. He can only imagine how much Aomine has been struggling within himself, as he revealed everything. It's kind of endearing and lovely to see Aomine so honest, he thought.

He knew he had to set things right.

There was a silent hum from Kise. "It was inexcusable but I understand your feelings and I have something very important to tell you so listen up."

"Yeah?" Aomine mumbled.

"Aominecchi, _you are irreplaceable."_

A fond and gentle smile materialized across Kise's lips.

 _"You always will be."_

Aomine's heart skipped a beat.

"You can _never_ be replaced, if that's what you truly fear, even now. Neither can you be compared with anybody. Kasamatsu-senpai and you, both inhibit disparate position in my life. So, please, Aominecchi, I beg you, don't compare yourself to him, nor should you compare yourself to anybody else. It already hurts me to see you like this. Believe me when I say you're different, you're really special to me." His eyes were filled with warmth and fondness.

"You know, y _ou changed my_ _life_ , in more ways than one. You introduced Basketball to me, which now is a huge part of me. You are the sole reason of who I am today. The Kise Ryouta who is happy with his life is because of you." He chimed in, warmly.

Although Aomine felt a bit bashful, Kise's words touched the very core of his heart. He became speechless, absolutely entranced by his words. His skin was tingling as if the words have been caressing his body.

"As regards to our match," Kise broke him out of his trance. "My actions did imply that I'll stop admiring you but I never did. I tried that time but my admiration for you was unshakable. To be honest, it grew even more."

"R-really?" Aomine stuttered while his heart was enveloped with a warm fuzziness.

"Yes, really. Baka Aominecchi." He smiled curtly into the call. "I still ask you to play one-on-ones, I still try to beat you every damn time, I still think your play is amazing, I still copy your moves." He added.

"It's true that I admire senpai but my admiration for him is different than yours. I admire his leadership skills and his ability to motivate his teammates. He's an excellent captain. I do respect him as a senpai and as a friend too, he knows how to lead a team and yes he is supportive but not just to me but to everybody." Kise paused, pondering for a moment. "I am gonna be honest with you, it is true that he is close to me. We slowly became friends. He is always there for me when I need him, and even though he kicks me every now and then I am aware that he too, cares for me. There is simply mutual respect and understanding between us."

"I see..." Aomine bemoaned, casting in eyes down despondently. He was appreciative about Kise's honesty but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel sad.

"Aominecchi, don't misunderstand me." Kise was stern as he perceived the dejection in his tone.

"What I feel for you is much different than what I feel for senpai. My admiration for you is entirely different. I do admire your Basketball...well that goes without saying. Along with that, I also admire your quirks, your ability to be so passionate. You usually come off as rude and arrogant which is irrefutably true-"

"Oi!" Aomine protested, interjecting him.

Kise let out a little laugh. "Baka, let me finish. You are rude but I also know you are caring. You care about people, you don't usually make a show of it but you do care about them, in your own way. And there are so many other things I like about you."

Heat rushed up to Aomine's face.

He swore he could feel a small smile on Kise's face and he took comfort in it. It only made his heart bubble up.

Kise continued, "Every time you play Basketball, you have this stupid smile on your face and a certain glint in your eyes; it makes me feel lucky that I can actually witness that. Sometimes, I look at you... I just look at you and I just know I'll never stop admiring you. I've known you since the second year of middle school and honestly, I have no idea how and when this admiration turned into something more. But I know I'll never stop this barrage of emotions I feel towards you. I'll never even be able to get you out of my head. You're still the coolest one, Aominecchi. Even the way you move is mesmerizing, irrespective of what you do." He smiled wholeheartedly.

Aomine's cheeks darkened. "Don't just blurt out embarrassing stuff."

"God, you're really a tsundere sometimes." Kise tittered.

"No, I'm not." He countered. But he was embarrassed; he hadn't expected to hear such saccharine things about him.

Kise laughed again.

The amount of happiness spreading throughout Aomine's body was immense. Kise's words and assurance has saved him a great deal of agony.

He was grateful that he had conveyed his feelings to Kise and felt like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

He, then cleared his throat. "Look, Kise, I wanted to ask you, I'll probably be jealous and possessive in the future too, are you okay with that? I wouldn't try to restrain you or accuse you of any bullshit, but this is a part of me I don't think I can get rid of. I mean, uh, my behaviour wouldn't be rash like that time, but you know... God, fuck! I hope you aren't taking this the wrong way. I know I acted like a crazy jealous, possessive boyfriend, it's just...damn, and why the hell are words so hard?" He stopped, frowning.

"Aominecchi, calm down." Kise's voice was soft. "I'm not taking you the wrong way at all. I completely understand you."

"And, well..." He started to contemplate. He doesn't think Aomine will restrain him, will smother him...now that they have communicated openly.

Truth be told, Kise does not like possessiveness. Just the idea of it is enough for him to convulse in agitation.

If it were someone else, he was sure he would have broken up with that person

He likes to be free, without any restrictions, without any constraints, without anyone breathing down his neck.

He likes to meet new people, he likes to befriend them, he likes to experience different things and he likes to explore various intricacies that life has to offer.

But it's Aomine, we're talking about here.

It's _Aomine Daiki_.

Aomine _fuckin'_ Daiki.

 _The_ Aomine Daiki who has been his object of admiration since a long time ago, who he is absolutely entranced with, who he just can't get enough of.

Maybe Aomine is the exception, maybe he isn't.

Maybe it's the mere fact that the usual lackadaisical, arrogant, pompous person is jealous and possessive of him, wants to keep him for himself.

Maybe it's the fact that this arrogant person only exposes his insecure side to Kise, maybe it's the fact that this person is afraid and yet, here he is pouring his heart out.

Maybe it's the fact that he is making an effort to reach out to him, making an effort to be accepted.

Maybe it's nothing or maybe it's everything, Kise can't figure out.

All he knew in the moment was how the thought of embracing such an odd sensation of receiving such blatant possessiveness and how it somehow coursed through like a current within him. His lips twitched into a sly smirk. It felt thrilling and sweet as the strange emotions evoked inside of him, stirred deep into his existence.

It seemed that Aomine's possessiveness over him, boosted his ego, his pride, but also a honeyed sweetness filled his heart.

"It's okay if you are jealous and possessive, Aominecchi," Kise began.

But there has to be some boundaries, right?

"Just not to the extent where it would drive us crazy." He added, subtly, carefully and skilfully.

"I like you the way you are." A genuine smile adorned his face.

"I don't want you to change yourself. I like your possessiveness and attention too, so I'm more than happy with it. I mean, I like being wanted by you, it is a proof of how much you like me — to the point of possessing me." He smirked again.

"Even though I'm a model, there's a part of me that only you get to see. No one else can even remotely get close to that side of me. Only you can go out with me, spend time with me, hug me, kiss me and touch me." A blush crept up his cheeks. Good thing he was on his bed as he proceeded to bury his head in his pillow. "Only you have the right to, Aominecchi."

"Really now?" Said person couldn't help but smirk. Kise's words highly appeased his possessive side. Arching his eyebrow, he asked, "then it's fine if I cover your body with hickeys?" He let out a velvety chuckle making Kise's blush spread up to his ears and his heart to pound rapidly.

"Only if I don't have work after you have marked me or the following day." His lips curled into another smirk as he let out a little saccharine titter, melodious to Aomine's ears and he earned a hum in agreement.

"Y'know, you're kind of like a Basketball." Aomine mumbled, chuckling, mostly to himself.

Kise blinked once, in confusion. "A Basketball? You mean Orange and round?" An adorable pout formed on his face.

His silly pout was already envisioned by Aomine. _Kise can be so cute, even over a phone call._

"No, you idiot." Aomine said, at the silly perception of his statement. "'Cuz, I think about it all the time, it fits with me perfectly. It calms me, it excites me and I like holding a ball. I also like the way it feels against my skin and I like the noises it produces when I'm holding it.

"That almost sounds perverted, Aominecchi." Kise giggled again. "You sound like a Basketball molester." His laughter raised an octave and echoed through Aomine's ears.

"Shut up." Aomine's face scrunched up. "Basketball is scared, don't say such things."

Kise laughed, softly like he knew what was going on in Aomine's mind. "Don't blame me; you were the one who were implying an innuendo."

Aomine chose to ignore his statement.

"But I want my basketball to be completely mine." He said. "I mean, I don't wanna share my Basketball with anyone. And our relationship is like a Basketball court. _Only I_ want to be the player in our court."

"What an interesting analogy you have made there." Kise smirked again, giving a sarcastic-mock reply.

Aomine halted and realized at this point, he was saying gibberish. He was sure he wasn't making any sense.

Being compared to a Basketball is the highest compliment from Aomine, Kise thought unintelligibly but sincerely. His naïve, stupid heart swallowed up the allegory as praise and it elevated his pride and ego again.

"You are so sweet, Aominecchi." Kise said, a genuine smile edging across his lips.

"You're such a goddamn sap!" Aomine remarked, groaning and scowling at the other end.

His sentence caused Kise to laugh even harder. His laughter was downright infectious, sweet and warm, and Aomine wished he could make the soothing sound his ringtone or some shit like that.

Not being able to help himself, Aomine joined in but his laughs were only breathy chuckles.

After a while, a comfortable silence transpired between them.

Aomine leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

"I also wanted to say that regarding Kasamatsu, I know there is absolutely nothing between you and him, those words, were just said out of anger. Okay?" He pointed out again.

Kise stilled immediately.

"..."

There was a sudden lull in the conversation.

Aomine tilted his head as confusion took over him.

"Oh, uh, ye-yeah. I know, Aominecchi."

"Why did you pause?" Aomine asked, creasing his brows.

"Eh?"

"You paused just now."

"No, Aominecchi, I didn't." Kise's tone was guarded as he replied without missing a beat.

Aomine thought it must be his imagination and therefore, he just shrugged off the unsettling feeling rising in his chest.

"You are worrying too much." A half-forced smile settled on his face as if he's afraid Aomine will see it across the call.

Aomine breathed. "But you see, the thing is, your closeness with him bothers me, I might take some time to adjust but I wouldn't snap, okay?"

"Aominecchi, it's okay, I kind of realized that. Besides, if you don't like him it's okay. You don't have to force yourself." Kise assured him, softly.

Humming again, contentedly, he asked, "So are we okay, now?"

"Yeah, we are." Kise smiled at his innocently hopeful question.

Aomine exhaled in relief. With it, the tension left his body and he relaxed visibly. He asked, "So, when will you meet me?"

"Hmm, how about this weekend? I have to come for a shoot in Tokyo early morning on Sunday. Actually the shoot is a little outside of Tokyo and then I have to head to the agency there." Kise responded.

"Oh cool. Then, we can spend the rest of the day together?" Expectation settled on his features.

Golden brows lifted up, but soon his face fell. "Sadly, no." He said.

"Oh." Aomine mumbled under his breath.

Kise clearly detected his disappointment. He knew it has been quite some time they had met and he would love to be with him. He had a sudden urge to grab his face and smother him with kisses. Instead he tried to curb the desire by gripping his pillow tighter.

"Unfortunately, after my photoshoot in Tokyo I have to head back here, in Kanagawa, for an interview and another shoot. I have some time, so I can meet you for lunch."

"Okay. We will have lunch then."

"And the lunch is on me, okay, Aominecchi?" Kise chirped brightly.

"Sure." Aomine softened up.

"I'll text you the address of the restaurant. It's closer to the agency I work at. We will talk some more then. I'm glad you told me everything, Aominecchi." He smiled exuberantly, eyes crinkling at the corners.

Aomine smiled in agreement.

"Well, then, I should hang up now. It's late in the night and work was tiring today. I need to sleep and tomorrow we have school." Kise yawned silently.

"Oh, uh, yeah...sure. I need to head home too." Aomine murmured, absentmindedly.

"Wait...what do you mean? You are not home now? It's almost midnight, Aominecchi."

"Uh, no." Aomine ran his hand across his blue hair. "I'm at a Basketball court."

"What? What are you doing there? It is cold outside, baka." He chided.

"It's not that cold, Kise. And I don't know, I just found my feet dragging to the court where you and I usually play."

Kise gaped. How long had it been since Aomine had been outside, brooding over everything. His stomach instantly twisted.

"Go home, Aho, and don't catch a cold."

"Yeah, yeah..."

Kise's heart was fluttering and he wished, he wished so much to be there — to hold him, to kiss him, to just be with him. For a moment, he regretted having this conversation on a phone call, _in person would have been lot better_ , he thought.

"'Kay, Aominecchi, go home now." Kise smiled.

"Yup, 'night, Kise, will meet you on the weekend."

"M'kay! Goodnight." Kise muttered and with that he hung up after Aomine said goodnight again.

Kise breathed in relief as he stared at the ceiling above him.

These weeks without Aomine, he had ignored him substantially but honestly he had been missing him.

These past months, since the moment he had started spending time with Aomine, he had gotten too used to him, gotten used to his company, but then this tiny separation felt like months to him and it left him feeling a tad lonely.

He rolled onto his bed, now that the air was clear between them, he felt lighter. A wave of warmness cursed through him and yet there was something nagging him in the pits of his stomach, but he decided to ignore it as he was too tired.

Soon enough, he drifted off to a sleep.

Aomine stared at the phone for a while, feeling the cold gush of wind passing through him, sweet on his heart.

He put his phone away and dribbled the ball. Running towards the hoop, he made an effortless shot. A warm smile pulled across his face when he could finally hear the sweet swish of the ball going through the net. He picked it up and walked towards his home.

He couldn't wait for the weekend to arrive.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter, by far is the hardest one I've written and the longest time I ever took for. Because just like Aomine, I can't deal with emotions and have a hard recognizing what I feel. So to put them in words from a fictional character's pov is even harder. I struggled really hard during this chap. I apologize if this chapter fails or disappoints anyone in any terms. But I hope that wouldn't be the case :)**

 **Honestly, these two idiots have other issues too which will be tackled in the following chapters.**

 **Reviews and favourites are always appreciated :)**

 **Thank you for reading :) Although, I do wonder if there are people who is actually reading this fiction here :( Makes me kinda sad, so please do leave a review :)**  
 **Anyway, I hope the readers who do read like it ^_^**


	21. Crippling Anxiety

**Thank you to Guest-san and Lemonade Ara san for commenting on the previous chapter. Thank you so very much. Encouraged me a lot.**

* * *

Aomine dabbed the sweat formed on his forehead with a towel handed to him.

The practice match had just ended and he can hear the rampant apologies of Sakurai to Wakamatsu about something trivial for the tenth time that day.

Before walking towards the gym showers he fished out his cell phone, resting in his bag to check for any notifications. Cue to his expectations, there was a text message waiting for him from Kise.

As usual Kise had texted him about trivial things that included a barrage of emoticons.

After typing a quick reply in return, his phone chimed instantly, alerting him of another text. Kise informed him about the restaurant's name and the address, he had mentioned into the call. There was a quirk of a thin blue eyebrow as he realized the name was in English.

Aomine brought the pads of fingertips towards the screen again, in order to ask about something, he was rudely- " **Aominecchi, meet me at the Rainbow Restaurant. From your house, it must be a 20 min-walk or so. The addr-** " interrupted as Momoi's shrill voice rang throughout Aomine's ears when she read Kise's message out loud. It elicited a shuddering shock out of Aomine and he almost dropped the device from his grasp. "Oh, I know this restaurant, it's-"

"What the hell, Satsuki?" He cut her off just as rudely. "Don't just pop up out of nowhere!" He glanced over his shoulder only to see her peeking into his phone screen. Glaring at her, he tucked it away in haste.

"But I was just here." She smirked, the little tug filled with amusement. "I am the manager of the team, of course, I would be here."

Aomine rolled his eyes tediously. "What are you? Tetsu? Scaring people and then saying 'I was here all the time' and don't just breach my privacy like that." He grumbled, still seeming surprised.

Momoi repressed an urge to quip at him. There were more important matters to discuss.

"I see you've made up with Ki-chan." She chirped as the corner of her lips lifted upwards to form a genuine smile.

Aomine's brows shot up, his looks spelling, 'what makes you so sure?'

"Well, you know, since he texted the address of the restaurant to finally meet up with you and even called you 'Aominecchi'." She began, obviously knowing the peculiar look. "And also, you are in a better mood now. You are attending practices, you aren't aggressive while playing, and you aren't grumpy or sad. You are back to normal now." There was another flash of smile from her. "Well, normal according to your standards." She chuckled. "Sakurai-kun, Wakamatsu-san and the coach are also at ease now."

Heaving a soft sigh, Aomine commented nothing to deny her statement.

"Well?" Inquired Momoi, sternly yet softly, crossing her hands over her chest.

"Yes, yes, we did." Her childhood friend obediently gave in.

"Thank god, I was really worried, you know." She seemed relieved and ecstatic.

And she really was, about everything. How he will handle and sort out the mess, how things will turn out. But she knew he could get things right, especially when it comes to Kise, she had faith in him. For a moment, she wondered if he knows how careful yet reckless Aomine gets when it involves the blond.

"Well, you don't have to be worried anymore. I talked to him, about everything, and I apologized too. Believe me, everything is fine now."

"Really? Like everything?"

A nod in affirmation was granted by him.

"Everything including you being overly jealous and possessive?" She asked, her eyebrows shooting up in slight wonderment.

Aomine scowled a bit, hearing her phrase the sentence so crudely. Oh well, he knew she was right. "Yes, Satsuki. We talked a lot and really everything is fine now." The smile that then graced his face was enough to tell her everything, was enough to assure her.

She could feel her chest swell up with happiness and warmth.

She almost wanted to tell him that she's proud of him. _Almost_.

Aomine then walked towards the gym showers as he had planned to do so.

* * *

After they left school, Momoi accompanied him towards their walk home.

"Hey, Satsuki, you were saying something before." Aomine asked, recalling their earlier conversation, before he had interrupted her as a retort.

"Hm?" Momoi looked up at him, questionably.

"About the restaurant."

"Oh, that? Nothing much. I've just heard about that place. It's nothing too fancy but a classy one and kinda cozy. Just wanted to say, it's a good restaurant. It's rather famous for its food and for the warm ambience it possess."

Aomine caught her from the corner of his eye, his mind joining the dots. "Is that your way of saying 'be dressed nicely'?" He apparently learnt the subtleness that lies in her statements now. Or at least, he thought he has.

"Maybe." She tittered, giving him an all-too-knowing grin.

Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he asserted, "If you're going to ask me to shop with you again then you can forget it."

"Well, I'm not even asking you to." She puffed up her cheeks, petulantly.

"Thank god! Shopping with you is really the worst thing ever. I'd rather stop eating Teriyaki burgers."

Momoi huffed.

"That reminds me, do they serve Teriyaki burgers?"

"Are you really asking that?" She wanted to drag her palm across her face. "You think a classy restaurant will serve a fast food burger?" The way she looked at him was enough to tell him that she thinks his question was downright absurd.

"Then what kind of a restaurant is it? And what's up with the name anyway? _Thee Raynbow Reishturaant_? Pfft!" He scoffed teasingly, his accent thick as he pronounced the words in English. "It's ridiculous."

She wanted to comment on how ridiculous his accent sounds but instead she opted to be witty. "I think it's ridiculous how you're a part of a certain Rainbow troupe yourself."

"Ha?" Confusion came over his features.

"Nothing." Momoi exhaled, thinking how thick headed he could be at times.

Letting a few moment pass by, she bit her tongue before asking, "So, when is Ki-chan meeting you?"

"This weekend," was the prompt answer given by him. "Apparently, he's got a shoot and then he will head over to the agency, and afterwards we're going for lunch."

She listened meticulously. "Hmm," she tapped her fingers under her chin. "At what time have you guys agreed to meet up?"

"At 1." A yawn left from Aomine. "Man, I wanna take a nap."

Calculatingly, she presumed they would be done in an hour or so.

"Enjoy your date, Dai-chan." Her tone was light and before Aomine could notice the Cheshire grin coating her features, she asked a question on a different note deliberately but impulsively, "What is this?" Reaching out her hand on his bag to touch, she ran her fingers through a certain trinket dangling by the chain.

"What does it look like?" Aomine bit his tongue.

"Well, it looks like a keychain."

"That is what it is."

She looked up at him and scanned his eyes carefully.

"What? You don't think I could buy such stuff?" questioned Aomine after seeing her perplexed face.

"No. You're not the type. It's so unusual for you to indulge in such things." She played with the keychain for a while. "Unless..." She drawled, shooting him a menacing look.

"Okay, fine! Kise gave it to me!"

"I knew it! Oh god, Ki-chan is so cute!" She squealed, her eyes practically sparkling with little hearts in them.

"What the fuck, Satsuki?" He grimaced.

"And you even accepted it. Oh my god, you guys are so cute!" The said person practically clapped her hands.

"Seriously, what the fuck, Satsuki?!" Aomine's lips twisted into a snarl. He snatched his bag away from her grip in annoyance.

Momoi laughed loudly.

* * *

 _Today is going to be a long day,_ Kise mused as Sunday arrived in a blink of an eye.

Amidst his hectic schedule, he didn't even realize when the weekend had announced itself. Not that he complained, he couldn't wait to be done with his job and finally meet up with Aomine.

Since his shoot was in the outskirts of Tokyo, he had to wake up early in the morning; he prepared and ate breakfast in the nook of the time. And since it was Sunday, his sister was sleeping in and not heading off to work herself.

He thought about Aomine for a moment, that he must be sleeping his ass off right about now. And he found himself to be a bit jealous. Although, Kise is a morning person, he wouldn't mind sleeping in once in awhile, and especially not if it's a damned Sunday.

He was cut off from his musings when his manager arrived at his doorstep, ringing the doorbell at 5am sharp.

As Kise opened the door, he greeted the man, "Aki-chan, gooood morning~" He sing-songed absentmindedly. "Just wait a moment, I'll grab my keys."

His manager, Hiroshigeki Akiyoshi, frowned. "Don't call me Aki-chan."

Kise returned, with a bright smile plastered on his face.

"Let's go, Aki-chan." That smile on his face was getting on his manager's nerves. "Stop calling me Aki-chan, Kise-kun." He stated again. Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears as Kise didn't bother to respond because as soon as he stepped out, he was greeted with a peaceful atmosphere and a cold wind caressing his body which felt way too pleasant. The sun wasn't up yet, the darkness of the night still lingered in the sky and yet he can see the brightness starting to seep in.

"Ah, it's such a beautiful morning." He exclaimed again.

"You're being too cherry at 5 o'clock on a Sunday morning. 'Come on, don't dawdle. We can't be late today."

"Roger, Aki-chan." Kise replied cheerfully.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Aki-chan?" Akiyoshi murmured, walking towards the car.

"Eh? Aki-chan sounds cute." Kise giggled, as he deposited himself in the front passenger seat.

"A cutesy name doesn't fit a grown man." There was a little growl in Akiyoshi's voice.

"Oh, come on, Aki-chan. A cutesy name can fit for anyone irrespective of their age." The pout forming on Kise's face was enough of a tell-tale for Akiyoshi, for he knows Kise is a stubborn little thing, and no matter what, he will always do what he wants to.

The old man could only sigh as he started the engine.

As his manager began driving, Kise sat quietly, watching the scenery of trees and tall buildings pass by him, the wind was soft and saccharine on his skin and it made his golden hair flutter. Only a handful of people were on the pavement alongside of the street and the lack of the hustle-bustle of the city, of the traffic and the lack of mostly every other sound which would usually envelop the city obnoxiously was void early in the morning, so Kise opted to lean back comfortably and let the breeze do it's wonders on him.

He has apparently begun to love car rides.

His manager's gaze flickered towards Kise for a split second before it returned towards the road that lay ahead of them. "Today is a big day, right? You will meet Mr. Marcus Kirihara." Kise blinked once before flashing a smile.

The delayed photoshoot for his album finally resumed and today will be the last shoot before the official release of his album.

"Shooting with him will prove beneficial to your career. You must have heard about him a lot, right? He has a lot of experience. You could learn a lot from him, Kise-kun. Not that, you're a rookie but you could always get better, yeah?"

Running a hand through his hair, Kise blithely hummed in agreement.

The rest of the ride was silent and comfortable. It's not every day his manager drives him around but when he does, it's usually for rare opportunities like these so Kise simply enjoyed the silent ride with the wind gracing his ears and the additional sound of birds chirping off in distance. It will take nearly an hour for their destination to arrive and one would think he would listen to music or at least turn on the radio but he preferred it to be quiet, preferred to listen to the combination of the various sounds gush through him, like music chords of a guitar.

Upon arriving on the destined place, Kise smiled in delight and nostalgia. He recognized the place as he had visited the place before. One of his shoots took place on the exact same location. He wasn't surprised to be here again, as the place was utterly beautiful. Tall lush trees and mountains surrounded everywhere. Birds chirped far off in the distance and the greenery surrounding him was refreshing from the concrete jungle back in the city.

He remembered visiting a certain place right up the hill, which no one knew about, back when he was in Teiko, back when loneliness and boredom pre-dominated his life. It was rather secluded and the most peaceful destination he had ever visited.

He gazed up at sky, it was now covered with bright blue with no signs of grey clouds covering it, it was crystal clear and he could see the sun rising now.

His thoughts shifted towards Aomine.

He stared at the sky for a good few minutes. Like a Sunflower that bends towards the sky to thrive on, Kise reached out for Aomine who seems like an endless vast expanse. Endless and unreachable.

"What are you doing? Stop spacing out!" His manager reprimanded him after seeing his dazed state.

Kise was brought out of his musings, and he shook his head in a futile attempt to keep Aomine out of his head. He proceeded to greet the staff and was happy to find that his photographer for today was Kazuya-san, the one who he felt comfortable with.

In a split second, his manager dragged him towards Marcus Kirihara for introductions.

"Hello, Kirihara-san. Good morning." Akiyoshi greeted, bowing to the man.

"Oh, hello, Akiyoshi-san. How are you this fine morning?" Marcus said, as he bowed back.

Behind them, Kise stared at Marcus with almost-wide eyes.

Marcus was a tall person, taller than Kise and had bright blond hair, much like him. Only difference was he didn't have bangs covering his forehead. It was short, and had an under-cut thing going on for him. He was only lightly tanned but if he were more tanned; his skin would resemble Aomine's. Another thing that grabbed Kise's attention were his eyes. They were a deep sapphire colour and had a black ring circling it, any deeper and his eyes would resemble the deep hue of midnight blue he has come to adore.

To Kise, It felt like he hadn't seen his boyfriend in months and he now he longs to see him, longs to see and stare into his deep blue eyes, yearns to burn like a blazing flame into his eyes. He only has to bear until afternoon, but he isn't sure he wanted to wait that long.

Kise breathed in harshly to repel such thoughts; he couldn't afford and doesn't usually allow himself much to distract him from work.

He has seen Marcus in magazines, interviews and albums before and he knows what he looks like. But it still felt like he was looking at him for the very first time. He could tell this guy oozes maturity.

Akiyoshi turned towards Kise. "Mr. Marcus. This is Kise Ryouta." He glanced at the both of them.

"Kise-kun, meet Kirihara-san. The guest star for today."

Kise bowed in front of him politely and respectfully. "Hello, Kirihara-san. It's an honour to work with you. I'm looking forward to the photoshoot." A professional smile graced on his face.

Marcus bowed as well. "Likewise, Kise-san. Let's work hard together."

The camera crew got ready with their equipment and on the other hand, the crew was setting up the lightning. Simultaneously, the models got their clothes changed and make-up and hair done which nearly took an hour.

Kise couldn't help but draw in a calming breath. The weather was absolutely delightful. The crisp of the morning tickled him. It was not too cold, not too hot. Just perfect. He made a mental note to visit this heavenly place again.

After everything and everyone was ready, the models began to pose as they were told.

Kise flashed his professional smile left and right, the smile that never reaches his eyes.

As the camera went off, Kazuya-san spoke, "I want to take some casual photos of you too, that will make it seem like you have known each other for ages." He smiled wholesomely. "So, you guys wouldn't feel like strangers doing a shoot but rather friends working together."

Both the models didn't seem to waver from the little proposition.

"Kirihara-san, if you could, please, place your arm on Kise-kun's shoulder and smile casually towards the camera," came an instruction from Kazuya-san.

Now, he was reminiscing Aomine's comfortable weight upon his shoulder. Kise sighed internally as he realized he was thinking of Aomine again before concentrating on his work.

"Kise-kun, please do the same with Kirihara-san." Kise followed his instructions. The photographer, Kazuya-san had also made things natural and comfortable between them.

Although, the shoot went on for hours, it was conducted smoothly as both the models were respectful and co-operative with each other. Kise indeed learnt a lot from him. Marcus taught him how 'getting-lost-in-thoughts' pose seemed really likeable, how a determined look was confident and passionate, how going with the natural flow will sometimes bring out the best in your shoots and other things as well.

 _Oh, I could do all of that if I think about Aominecchi,_ was Kise's fleeting thought. This then resulted in cursing himself mentally.

Kise noticed the time displayed on his phone, the shoot took quite some time and he had a hunch he's going to be late for the lunch. He hoped the interview wouldn't take long at his agency.

"Alright, it's a wrap!" The director announced at the end. "Kise-san, congratulations! Your photo album will be out soon."

"The shoot was carried out beautifully." Kise grinned ear-to-ear and extended his thanks to everybody, bowing to Kirihara-san, his manager and the director.

Soon, the crew began packing away and slowly, everybody retreated, some towards their home and some towards the agency.

Kise left with his manager again, towards Tokyo agency. He let his mind leisurely wander towards Aomine.

Finally, after reaching the agency, there was an interview for him. As Marcus was the guest star, he too accompanied him and they were questioned, mainly about the new photo album, and the interviewer asked Kise about his latest photoshoot experience and how it was to work with Marcus. It also featured some questions about Basketball.

The interview was diplomatic and nothing special to Kise, although he didn't let anyone know. He always remained on guard. The smile on his face was simply a pretend one and if Aomine were to see that he would get annoyed and tell him to knock it off.

Untowardly, the interview ran a little late. Kise rushed to text Aomine.

* * *

 **Aominecchi, I'm sorry! (*´ **･Д･** **)**** **I'll be a little late! **｡･ﾟﾟ** ***(д)*** **ﾟﾟ･｡**** , came Kise's text as Aomine stood at the given address.

Aomine shook his head back and forth. **Are you ever on time?** He tightened his grip on the transparent plastic covering the stems wrapped in blue ribbon.

 **Gomen! The shoot ran a little late, I'll be there asap!** **へ** **(´д** **｀へ** **)**

Only a heavy sigh was let out in the air by the tanned male. He hasn't seen Kise for weeks and nervousness crept inside of him, like when they had met again at Maji's after their 'little' fall out.

After standing around for minutes, tapping his feet impatiently on the surface of the ground, kicking a few gravels underneath his shoes like it was the only thing keeping him sane, Aomine watched people pass-by, some girls chatting away in distance, a child crying in his mother's arms, and he released a shaky breath.

His heart was pounding, he felt like sweat drops were rolling down his face and neck, his fingers were shaky but he didn't loosen his grip.

 _Okay, Daiki, calm down. Take deep breaths, it's no big deal. You can do this._ He paused. _Oh great, now I am talking to myself. Getting pathetic and going crazy, Daiki._

He looked around and finally spotted a familiar mop of blond hair sprinting towards him. He swore his heart pummelled and stopped beating all at once and he had no idea how the damn thing managed to do that.

He quickly hid whatever he was holding behind him.

"Aominecchi..." Kise came running, completely breathless and stood in front of him. Placing his hands on his knees, he struggled to breathe. "Hah...sorry," he tried to wave. "I'm...hah, late." He managed to coherently mumble.

" 'S', kay" Aomine said. "Geez, you didn't have to run."

Kise took a deep breath to speak up. "I just didn't want to make you wait, anymore." He smiled lopsidedly as his breathing evened out.

"For god sake's, you're an athlete, Kise. What's got you so breathless?!"

"Mou, Aominecchi, I rushed everything after the interview, y'know. I even had to change my clothes in a jiffy." Kise pouted.

Aomine took a moment to look at Kise's face. The blond looked a bit flushed, from the exertion and he realized he had make-up on his face. Aomine groaned a little. Although, Kise did look handsome as ever, Aomine knew he looks better without his face all caked up.

Kise stood as if the time had frozen again and he too stared back. He finally let himself gaze into deep-blue eyes he missed so much with half-lidded orbs. When was the last time they met? Oh, it was at their first date. _Why does it seem so long ago_ , he thought.

Aomine forgot the other people walking around, forgot the horns of the vehicles go by, forgot about children crying, forgot about a bunch of girls gossiping, he forgot about everything.

They both stood, face-to-face, for a few minutes, just staring at each other with no one breaking the silence.

Until Kise's eyes fluttered into a blink making Aomine blink back. He was brought out of his daze.

He awkwardly cleared his throat. He remembered the task at hand. _Just get it over with_ , Daiki!

He then swiftly shoved something in Kise's face.

"H-here, these are for you..." Aomine muttered speedily, hiding and turning his face away from Kise.

Kise jerked back, from the sudden movement only to have his golden eyes widen in surprise.

In front of his vision, lay a beautiful mix of white Tulips and Sunflowers. The yellow-brown flowers that resembled his own honey-golden eyes, bundled around and between the elegant white Tulips which were secured together in a blue ribbon tied in a shape of a bow and were covered with transparent plastic.

 _Flowers_. Aomine had gotten him flowers. It literally took Kise's breath away. His jaw dropped.

"I-I...you-you got me fl-flowers?"

"Y-yeah." Kise heard Aomine mumble behind them.

A long beat of silence emerged between them.

Kise stared at the flowers for quite a while; they were so beautiful and gorgeous and exquisite, he couldn't bring himself to do any movements, not even a blink of an eye as if afraid they will vanish if he allowed himself to do any kind of activity. Instead, his vision blurred lightly from the water welling up in his eyes.

"What are you doing? T-take them." Aomine let out a silent grumble, shoving them further into his face, not meeting his eyes.

Finally removed out of his stupor, Kise blinked back the tears in his eyes. God, he didn't want to cry in front of him. His pale, shaky hand came forwards to reach out for the small bouquet. He held it as Aomine let it go.

Aomine watched Kise accept the flowers graciously and his lips tugged into a very faint and bashful smile.

Kise pursed his lips. He clutched the flowers against his chest lightly, careful, not wanting to crush them within his embrace and that little gesture was seen by Aomine. Kise tucked a stray strand of his blond hair behind his ear shyly.

Kise couldn't meet Aomine's eyes but Aomine could see traces of pink blush covering his cheeks then turning into a deep crimson one across his face.

 _Holy fuck, this is embarrassing_ , Aomine thought, wanting to tear his eyes away from him but couldn't bring himself to. He wanted to kiss him.

As Kise's eyes gazed down, he felt too embarrassed and demure. He could feel Aomine's stare on him.

Mockingly he said, "So, now you're treating me like a girl, Aominecchi?"

Aomine pulled a face instantly, contorting into a shocked one. "What?" Incredulity bathed in his voice. "What? Of course not! I would never-"

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that, Aominecchi." Kise kind of regretted saying that. He looked back into Aomine's eyes. "I was just kidding." There was a smile appearing on his face.

"T-they are really beautiful, I love them." He complimented, caressing the petals gently underneath his fingertips. He took a careful and tentative step towards Aomine to peck his cheek.

At Kise coming too close to his face, Aomine flinched a little, albeit visibly. He backed away from the kiss and missed the flash of hurt pass through Kise's face.

Kise's stomach dropped a few inches. He felt like an idiot but he kissed his cheek anyway. He immediately pushed back any unnecessary thoughts that began to flood his mind. He retreated from Aomine's personal space and gripped the bouquet in his hold.

"Thank you so much, Aominecchi." He smiled sweetly at Aomine.

Aomine couldn't meet his eyes. "Y-yeah...anyway, let's go eat. I'm starving here!" He blurted out, rubbing his nape.

As he turned away, Kise could see the tips of Aomine's ears turn red.

Kise smiled warmly again but for a moment he wanted to cry. God, he hated feeling this way, _why am I being so stupid_.

Once they entered the restaurant, Aomine and Kise sat on a particular table, opposite of each other. Kise placed the flowers on the corner of the table facing the wall, carefully.

Aomine looked around and realized Momoi was right. The place isn't actually fancy but has a homey feeling to it. It still looked classy and yet it was warm and so very comfortable. When the sunlight peeped in through the windows, there was a visible rainbow carved up smoothly on the ceiling and on the walls, making it shine and bringing out the colours softly and whatnot.

Bringing his gaze back at Kise, he saw him gaze back.

"I frequented this restaurant a lot of times when I used to stay in Tokyo. Do you like it?" Kise asked with certain warmness basking his eyes.

"Yeah, it's a cool place." Aomine stated, after glancing around some more.

Someone soon approached them with poised steps.

Halting in front of the table, the man said, "Hello, good-afternoon. I'm Jacob Hara. I'll be your waiter for tonight." He smiled politely before bowing.

As his eyes fell on Kise, he was taken aback with genuine surprise. "Kise-san?"

The said person was looking at the waiter and a smile spread across his features.

"Hello, Hara-san." Kise greeted.

"It's been a long time since you've been here."

"Yes, it has. I had work in Tokyo so I came by here." Kise gave a curt nod to man before him.

"I see." The waiter took a brief glance at Aomine. "I see you have different company today. You either came alone or with your manager or with your sister."

Kise cackled a bit. "Yeah. He's Aomine Daiki." He paused before saying, "a friend of mine."

Aomine quirked an eyebrow at his words. "Hello," Aomine was quick to greet him.

"Hello, Aomine-san." The waiter smiled. "It's good to see you here and I hope you will accompany Kise-san again."

"Yeah, sure." Aomine replied. He could tell this guy wasn't entirely Japanese as his accent was little off. His pronunciation was almost correct.

They were quickly handed glasses of water and the menu cards.

"Call for me, Kise-san, Aomine-san, whenever my assistance is required."

Kise gave another brief nod before the waiter retreated.

After he left, Kise hunched towards Aomine. "God, I'm sorry, Aominecchi. Y'know, about introducing you as my friend." He gushed, sounding a bit guilty.

"What are you being sorry for, idiot? I know you can't directly introduce me as your boyfriend." Aomine chuckled, almost rolling his eyes. Of course, he understands that Kise and his relationship can't be just declared to anybody.

A giggle left from Kise.

"You know him, huh?" Aomine asked.

"Yes. Like I said, I frequented this place a lot so I became familiar with some of the staff." Kise answered.

"His Japanese is a little weird."

"Yeah. He's half Japanese and half American."

Well, that explains it.

Aomine skimmed through the menu but nothing held his interest, he didn't even know how to pronounce some of the English words.

Kise glanced at him from above the menu. "Aominecchi, what do you wanna order?"

Aomine scowled as everything went over his head. "Just order whatever. I'll eat anything."

Smiling, Kise said fine.

Kise then ordered quickly, for him and for Aomine as well. Aomine watched him order away, and noticed Kise wasn't so bad in English.

"So, how was your shoot today?" Blue eyes were focused on Kise.

"It was good." Kise began. He later continued on saying how everything went, how he had to begrudgingly wake up early in the morning, that his manager drove him to the shoot, that his manager only does it rarely, that he met Kirihara-san; who is a professional model, told him that he had to change his clothes four times during the shoot, and later goes on about the happenings of the agency.

Soon, their food arrived. The sight of the food was enough for Aomine to drool. Kise ordered some meaty dish and Aomine thanked god for his sacred existence.

Kise smiled genuinely when he saw Aomine's happy face and then resumed talking.

Mentioning more about his work, that his hair and make-up takes up a lot of time, that his photo book is going to be officially released, that he has been too busy as he always is, that he sometimes gets too tired at the end of the day, that he wants to take a break.

He talked and talked and talked like he hadn't seen Aomine in ages.

Aomine listened, getting caught up in Kise's stories and just in Kise. Kise makes this little hand gestures when he tells various things. If his one hand is occupied, he would make movements with the other. If his both hands were occupied, he would make gestures with his head. He would shake it in all directions, would make any movement possible. Aomine found it all cute and hilarious at the same time.

Of course, Kise loves to talk his head off and of course, Aomine had been with him before, but why hadn't he noticed this beforehand? Kise's eyes just seemed to shine brighter every time he was engrossed in telling his stories and his body language, his gestures, the way he brings the spoon to his lips for the food to go in, the way he swallows after chewing, the way he drinks water after taking a huge bite, the way he blinks or scrunches up his face, everything was just so mesmerising and so cute.

Observing every little movement of Kise, Aomine narrowed his eyes at him. "Your face is all caked up, Kise." There was a tinge of annoyance masking his tone.

"Eh?" Kise blinked but soon enough he understood what Aomine meant. "Sorry 'bout that. Didn't get any time to remove the make-up."

There was a roll of azure eyes, it wasn't sarcastic or condescending, those eyes only wanted to see Kise's natural face. Not that they minded a face full of make-up, it's just Kise looked somehow more lovely without his face painted for a damn camera.

Aomine then continued watching him talk and talk, watched and his eyes followed every little smile, every little curve of his lips, every little hand movement, every little shine of his eyes, every little gesture, like Kise is the only thing in the world and nothing could ever matter.

"Aominecchi, I didn't know I was this hungry." Kise began another tale, as he continued eating like there's no tomorrow. "Today morning, I only ate so little and until now I had absolutely nothing. I usually have at least some energy bars to eat but I kinda left my apartment in a hurry so I couldn't take anything. You know, even the agency sometimes serves food to us."

"Hmm," Aomine grunted out, glancing at him as he jabbed his fork into his food to bring it to his mouth and eat it.

"Yeah, and sometimes they serve us sweets too. If Murasakibaracchi were there, he would have practically licked the entire table." Sweet giggles echoed through the restaurant. "The agency didn't provide us with anything today. So, now I'm probably going to eat and eat and eat." He parroted.

"Hah! No problem, since you're paying." Aomine winked at him.

"Yes, because I'm loaded!" Kise winked back. "One day, I might become so rich, I can even become your sugar daddy." There was a smirk playing across his face and then he was laughing when he saw Aomine choke on his food.

"I can't believe you said that!" Aomine thumped his chest before drinking his water.

Laughter rippled out of Kise again.

"Oh come on, I'll shower you with gifts, you can buy whatever you want." Kise wiggled his brows at him.

Hunching up from his seat, Aomine flicked his forehead.

"Eck! Not again, Aominecchi!" Kise whined, rubbing the spot.

Aomine cracked a laugh. "You are so stupid," with a fond shake of his head, he took another bite.

Kise's lips curled into a pout.

The rest of the lunch was filled with silly bickering antics of them.

"Hey, Kise, where is the restroom?" Aomine asked after he was done eating.

"It's um..." Kise rubbed his palm against his forehead, trying to remember. "Oh, just go straight from here and take a left."

Kise watched Aomine get up and his eyes followed his receding back.

His gaze fell upon the empty seat before him. He stared and stared, and it felt like ages although it was a mere couple of minutes.

And then _there_ it was again, what he has managed to push back into his mind resurfaced. The feeling that threatens to swallow him right up. The feeling that he had tried so hard to push it in the back into his mind.

His stomach churned, his insides twisted. He knows whatever he's feeling is stupid, _so_ very stupid, but damn it! He can't help it; he's a stupid human being.

 _It hurts_ , he thought as he bolted up from his seat.

* * *

 **A/N: Wonder what Kise is upto, eh!**

 **I hope you guys like this chapter and thank you for reading :)**


	22. Unveil

**Lemonade Ara, thank you for leaving a review again! I hope this chapter answers your question, haha.**

* * *

Turning the knob of the water tap on, Aomine proceeded to wash his hands under the running water. He lifted his gaze up and saw his reflection in the mirror. A little scoff left his lips upon seeing the damn glass. It was in a huge rectangular shape, stretched over from one end of the sink to the other, encircled by a narrow metal which had the colours of rainbow carved into it. Where do they even find such stuff? The restaurant is certainly living up to their name. The mirror also reflected the ceiling which was no exception for the rainbow theme. He wouldn't have been surprised if the transparent liquid itself were to start flowing with hues of rainbow.

He quickly grabbed the paper towels placed inside the dispenser close to him, and wiped his hands dry. Humming a soft tune, he crumpled the used paper towels into a ball. He glanced around, a smirk played across his lips when he saw a trash bin. He walked far away from the target and held the ball in his palm like a basketball and made a shot into the bin, thinking of it as a basketball hoop. Another smirk appeared on his face when he saw it go in.

Stepping forward towards the exit, as he strolled across the place, with his hands shoved in his pockets, he took a last glimpse into the mirror.

An instinctive jump elicited out of his very own skin when he saw Kise's reflection who stood behind him. His heart pummelled in his ribcage as he was startled. Soon enough, there was a scowl on his face at the blond's sudden appearance.

Kise was leaning against the wall with an amused look on his face.

"What the hell, Kise. You scared me!" Aomine hissed.

"Sorry, didn't mean to." Kise let out a chuckle, walking past him.

"What are you doing here?" Aomine questioned.

"It's the men's room. You don't think I can be here?" He stood across the sink, his back resting against the edge. Aomine's gaze followed him and so did his footsteps to halt in front of Kise.

"Besides, you were taking a lot of time and I had to see if you were okay, Aominecchi." He pursed his lips; a laugh was almost making its way past his throat. "Didn't know you were busy using the trash bin as a hoop." And then his laughter echoed the place.

Aomine almost sulked but didn't tear his gaze away from Kise. "Anyway, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine now. Should we go outside?" He turned around but was stopped as Kise grabbed his arm.

"Wait." Kise bit his inner cheek, his nerves bouncing up and down in his body.

"What is it?" He watched him as Kise let go of his arm.

"Ah...um...nothing...actually..." Kise mumbled meekly.

"Well, if it's nothing then let's go out already."

"Yeah...but um... Ca-can we stay here for a while...please?"

Aomine stared at him.

Kise knew he was stammering a lot but he also knew he didn't want to leave just yet.

"...okay. You wanna say something?"

Kise looked up at him. "Huh?"

"You look like you wanna talk about something. It's written all over your face." Aomine said, scanning his face further.

Moments passed but Kise didn't bother to respond. A skittish breath escaped his lips. His heart was again acting out of sorts and he prayed Aomine wouldn't notice it.

For some reason, he began looking everywhere except at Aomine.

There was a tilt of a tanned head as he saw Kise glancing around aimlessly. _Why isn't he saying anything?_ It's usual for Kise to stay quiet out of nowhere.

Overwhelming quietness suddenly engulfed them, but the quietness wasn't serene or calm; instead it was beginning to throw Aomine off. An uncomfortable feeling crept inside of Aomine and he could see a solemn expression forming on Kise face, it was enough to perplex him.

Aomine opened his mouth but closed it as he heard words stumbling out of Kise's mouth.

"Aominecchi...y-you know..." Kise ran his fingers across his blond hair. "These past weeks...I-I missed you." A smile made its way on his face, a crooked one tugging at the corner of his lips. While his gaze was settled down, he began scraping the ground with his foot, as if it's the most interesting thing in the world.

Aomine narrowed his eyes. "Well, weren't you busy ignoring me?!" He stated as a matter-of-factly.

Because of his straightforwardness, Kise found himself to be in slight shock, but he knew this is who Aomine is. He is usually direct and isn't afraid to say what comes in his mind. Yet, knowing this, Kise felt a painful throb in his chest. He clenched his jaw followed by a chuckle. The little laugh was feeble, gut-wrenching and miserable.

Aomine was a bit taken aback after hearing the sound. It wasn't bubbly and sweet like usual but it had a certain amount of bitterness lacing it. _Is it just my imagination?_ He decided to shrug it off.

Kise bit his tongue. He wanted to say, 'Well, can you blame me?' Instead he slowly brushed his quivering fingers across Aomine's. In a heartbeat, Kise saw Aomine's fingers jerk. _He is flinching again_ , he noted to himself, desperately trying to ignore the answer he received from within him. He quickly tried to shake off the uneasiness bubbling up, but the strange sensation prickled his heart like countless sharp needles.

Aomine didn't respond to his touch quickly, he was puzzled. Kise was acting weird whilst he was trying to comprehend him. Irritation was swelling within him as he continued to see Kise avoid his eyes. _Something is really wrong,_ _Kise is never this quiet,_ he mused. He then felt Kise lacing his fingers with his own and Aomine finally responded by entwining them.

Kise swallowed hard, feeling a certain amount of relief flooding over him. He wrapped his arms around Aomine's broad chest and heaved a soft sigh.

Aomine tried to catch his expression from the corner of his eye but Kise was quick to hide his face from him by burying his head in the crook of his neck. "Kise, are you alright?" He encircled his arms around Kise and embraced him affectionately.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" He answered without missing a beat and inhaled Aomine's scent deeply.

"Well...it's just...something...feels off about you."

A painful expression transpired on Kise's face. But he was quite relieved that Aomine couldn't catch his expression, for he knew the tanned male would question him. Sighing, he proceeded to delve further into his neck. "No. It must be your imagination, Aominecchi." His voice felt blank and it only served to alarm Aomine.

"Aominecchi, I really missed you." Kise parroted, hugging him tighter and this time Aomine could tell it was sincere, his voice sounded sincere.

 _Is that it? Kise has just been lonely?_ He couldn't help but wonder. He exhaled softly. _Maybe that's it._ He smiled fondly, reaching out to caress his silky blond hair. For a moment, he felt Kise stiffen under the contact but soon enough his lean frame relaxed as Aomine gently ran his fingers through his hair.

The warm digits that slid down the smooth golden strands felt nice with every movement; and strangely somehow, the sweetness of that moment almost reached Kise's tongue, as if he could actually taste the sugary feeling. It was pleasant and almost heart-melting.

But the moment didn't last long as Kise shifted and pressed his lips against Aomine's. Aomine calmly responded to the kiss as Kise's tongue entered his mouth and he let him take the lead. As their mouths melted into each other, Kise felt Aomine breathe a little harder. Aomine's tongue was soft against his and Kise couldn't help but deepen the kiss. As they explored each other's mouth with vigour and sucked on each other's tongue, the kiss got more passionate and searing hot by the passing second. A tilt of a certain blue-haired head and a little shift of his body helped Kise to press up against him.

After a couple of seconds, the kiss was broken by the blond, he gazed into deep blue eyes which seemed dazed and alight with pleasure. Kise breathed heavily, he was pretty sure his own amber eyes looked the same. He grabbed Aomine's wrist and spun around, dragging Aomine with him and briskly walked towards the bathroom stall. Aomine was suddenly confused. "What are you doing, Kise?"

There was no response given to him as Kise ushered him in and locked the door behind them.

"Just wanna kiss you, Aominecchi." He giggled, pushing Aomine against the back of the door to plant a bunch of kisses on his lips.

"What? Here?" Aomine, bewildered, asked in between kisses.

"Yes, here." Kise pouted adorably, clasping his arms around Aomine's neck. "I've missed you and I've been lonely so why don't you kiss the loneliness away." There was another giggle echoing Aomine's ears.

Aomine's lips curled into a smirk. "Well, if you're going to be cute about it..." He spun around to push Kise against the door, just as Kise had him in a position a second ago. He began kissing him with passion while Kise returned the kiss with same enthusiasm.

Their teeth clashed together, tongues entwined, the heat of their bodies mingled. Kise gripped Aomine roughly and pressed himself against Aomine's chest, wanting to feel more of him.

Aomine broke the kiss and his lips moved down, peppering close-mouthed pecks on his jaw and neck.

Letting out a curt moan, Kise mumbled, "Hah...don't leave marks, okay? I have a shoot later." Breathless pants left his lips.

"Hmm, yeah." Aomine growled deeply, kissing his pale neck feverishly.

While Kise was busy biting his lower lip in an attempt to muffle his moans, Aomine was desperate to mark him, he wanted to suck on every patch of his immaculate neck and blotch it with red bruises; but he refrained from doing so. He left a long wet trail from Kise's neck to his jaw and reached upwards to capture Kise's sweet lips again. A delightful shiver ran down Kise's spine.

Kise swiped his tongue across Aomine's lips while caressing his nape, tugging tenderly at his short soft hair. He squeezed Aomine's back and let his hands travel down. Soon, his tongue was inside Aomine's mouth and he started feeling delirious.

He dug his fingers through his broad shoulders, the rough and broad back — the back that had turned on him in Teiko. His eyes snapped open in a doleful expression, but he didn't stop responding to his kisses. It felt abrupt and unpredictable to have such a thought cross his mind. He shut his eyes again; he didn't want to have such thoughts while Aomine was kissing him. It simply felt...wrong. He smashed his lips against his roughly to repel sudden onslaught of such thoughts.

He cupped Aomine's cheeks, and then wandered his palms across his muscular chest. Through Aomine's shirt, he felt his heart thudding which was in sync with his own heartbeat. His torso was bigger than Kise's and the blond opted to feel the ripples of his muscles through his clothes and marvel over the size. He came to a sudden stop when he reached his waist. Opening his eyes half-way, he saw Aomine's closed eyes and furrowed brows.

He closed his eyes again but he remembered Aomine flinching from his touches before. Various thoughts flooded Kise's mind, much to his utmost resistance.

Maybe if he were to move further, maybe...just _maybe_ Aomine would...

He reached down and placed a tentative hand over Aomine's belt.

In between the assault of fiery kisses, Kise began to unbuckle his belt. The sound of the metal clinking was loud in the atmosphere. Kise broke apart from the kiss to bend down. Aomine was effectively snapped out of his reverie when he heard the sound and saw Kise sliding down. _What the hell?_

Grabbing Kise's wrist in a jiffy, he pulled him up.

"Oi! What the fuck are you doing?!" Incredulity appeared on his face. He pinned one of Kise's wrists to the wall and made him stand eye-to-eye in front of him. "Why were you-" What he saw then was enough for his eyes to widen in shock.

"Kise!" Aomine almost screeched out loudly, eyes shooting wide and with a sharp intake of air, he forgot breathing.

Luminous golden eyes were pooled with thick beads of tears. He looked sickly pale; the colour lost from his cheeks.

Aomine blinked. Various emotions materialized on his features. "K-Kise, what's wrong?" He asked, letting go of the pinned wrist without much conscience. "What's wrong? Why do you-"

Kise then realized he was on the verge of crying. "E-eh?" He croaked out. He began fluttering his eyelids several times in an attempt to blink back those tears but the clear droplets began to cascade down his face.

 _Oh god, no._

He touched his cheeks which were now beginning to feel tepid with tears. And when a single tear broke past, the others followed in an unbroken stream. He hurried to hide his face behind his palms.

"Oh-god, I'm-I'm sorry."

He started to frantically rub his eyes and cheeks.

The tears he had so desperately held back all this time, finally made their way past his tough exterior.

"What-" Aomine stood frozen.

"I'm so-s...sorry, Ao-" His speech was breaking, he knew he was struggling to talk coherently. "Ao...minecchi..."

"Oi, Kise, wh-why are you crying?" Aomine didn't know what to make of this; all he knew in the moment was how Kise had begun crying and it pained for him to see Kise in such a state.

"Th-this is so stupid." Aomine then heard Kise sniffle.

Kise knew his walls were crumbling down.

"Shit! I didn't mean to." He parroted. "I'm...simply being s-stupid, Aominecchi. I-I really am...sorry." He slurred, wiping his face with both his palms.

Aomine seemed alarmed from the way Kise sounded. It was pure agony and gut-wrenching. Why is he even apologizing? "Kise, look at me." He demanded in a low voice.

As soon as Aomine uttered those words, Kise almost panicked. Aomine reached out his hand to caress Kise's cheek but the blond was quick to turn away from his touch.

Kise had always hated crying. Crying distresses him and makes him feel weak, pathetic and pitiful. Crying so excruciatingly where he looks like he will break down into some more tears makes him want to run away.

Crying in front of Aomine worsens the situation. He is the one person he doesn't wanna cry in front of, not in such a miserable way. It doesn't make him feel equal to him. He doesn't want Aomine to think of him as someone who is weak. He doesn't want to let Aomine see such a pitiful sight of him. He wanted to run away, wants to...

"No, no. I can't. This is stupid. So very stupid." He rambled on and whimpered a little while desperately trying to muffle his cries by placing a hand over his mouth.

 _I need to get out of here._

"I have to leave...I can't-" Kise choked out a sob as a hiccup left his throat. He placed his hand over the silver cold lock of the door and almost opened it but Aomine was quick to slam it close.

"Kise? What the hell?" Aomine grabbed him by his shoulder and turned him around.

"Aominecchi, I-I have to go." A string of hiccups followed before he said, "I-I have a s-shoot in Kanaga-"

"Kise!" Aomine pushed him back against the door and tried to get him to look at him. "I'm not letting you leave until you tell me what's wrong." He knew if he let Kise go now, things will take a turn for worse; he couldn't bring himself to let Kise go with tears in his eyes. He brushed golden strands out of his face but Kise firmly shielded away his eyes behind his palms.

"Kise, seriously, look at me and tell me what's bothering you." He sounded desperate as he watched Kise sobbing.

Aomine grabbed hold of his wrists and tried to pry away his hand. "Kise, look at me." He begged. "Why are you crying?"

Kise clenched his fists. "Ao-Aominecchi, I'm just being really stupid." He finally slid his hands down and let Aomine take a good look at him, at his vulnerable self.

His gaze was fixated downwards and they couldn't meet Aomine's eyes.

A pair of calloused hands cupped his cheeks; Aomine lifted his face to look at him. "Hey, look, it's not stupid. Okay? Stop saying that. If something has got you crying, it is _never_ stupid." The tone of voice he held towards Kise was determined and gentle, it was dripping with worry and it made Kise's heart clench.

Kise had his eyes shut tight again but soon fluttered them open after hearing Aomine's words. He then saw his face, contorted into worry. Hot tears brimmed in the corner of his eyes again. He didn't want Aomine to worry. He rubbed his eyes again in an attempt to stop them for welling up further, but he knew he was failing to no extent.

"Kise, calm down, okay? Stop crying." Plea laced Aomine's tone. He wiped some tears wetting Kise's cheeks along with the corner of his eyes. Kise was shivering; his shoulders and his entire frame shook under him.

 _Damn it._ Aomine noticed and promptly surrounded his arms around the distraught male protectively and pressed his body against him. "Ssh, it's okay. Calm down, just relax."

"Aominecchi, I-" Kise fidgeted, he knew he was falling apart in Aomine's arms.

"What is it?" Aomine spoke softly, urging him to speak. "Take your time, you can tell me whenever you want to. You don't have to rush, Kise."

Kise let his words linger for a while. He then felt Aomine press a single kiss on his head followed by his cheek, accompanied by some more on his eyes and felt a big, warm and comforting palm rubbing his back.

Aomine could taste the saltiness of the remnants of the tears but he didn't mind kissing him.

The kisses were comforting and warm against Kise's skin and in Aomine's soothing embrace he gradually relaxed. His heart was swelling up and soon enough he completely stopped crying.

"Have you calmed down now?" Aomine kissed him on the side of his temple before asking.

"Yeah, I have, Aominecchi." He whispered, letting out a faint sigh, as the nerves in his body became considerably calm.

"Good." Aomine praised but didn't let him go. He kept rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"It-it's just, I..." Kise began but stopped altogether.

As Aomine saw Kise worrying his lower lip, he understood he was having some sort of internal struggle. To prove his train of thought, Kise began stammering again. "Ssh, it's okay, Kise." His smooth velvety voice alleviated him. "Like I told you, you don't have to rush." He reassured.

When Kise was ready, he began talking again, "A-after our fight that day, I was thinking and...and I wondered what your words meant, Aominecchi." He paused as he found the will to talk. But there was a part of him that didn't want to. And that part of him didn't want Aomine to hear any of _this_.

While Aomine patiently waited for him to continue, he brought his hand down to cup Kise's hand into his and with the other he brushed his thumb under a golden eye, he tenderly caressed the area.

His touch was so benign and so warm; Kise felt like he would tear up again, but this time it was because of Aomine's gentle touch.

"That day, you sounded so angry on the call and honestly I was kind of scared. You were yelling so much I never knew Aominecchi could be scary."

Aomine's eyes widened in shock and dread. He never thought he could invoke fear within Kise. "W-what?" He asked, feeling sad.

He never wanted to do that. But what Kise said next eased him.

"You were scary but that side of you didn't deter me in any way. But what really shocked me was to hear you say things like my feelings were for someone else, you thought my feelings were a lie, m-my kisses and words too, and it just made me think..." Kise swallowed but the bile in his throat which was threatening to spill out.

"I-I know it hasn't been a long time since we've started dating but then again, it has been a long time since we have known each other. So I just thought...that..." He clenched his fists; the wetness resurfaced in his eyes, clinging to his lashes. He fought to keep his vision clear.

"T-that even though we have known each other for such a long time you weren't able to trust me. I thought I _wasn't_ worthy of your trust."

That sentence slowly edged into Aomine like a sharp knife and it was enough to pierce through his heart. For a while, he stared at him, dumbfounded.

Shaking his head, to pull himself out of his state, he said, "But, Kise, I told you I knew there is nothing between you and Kasamatsu. I made that clear." Aomine desperately tried to get himself across.

"Yeah, you did. That is why I'm saying that this is stupid."

"Kise..." Aomine whispered, feeling helpless.

"I also knew you said those words out of anger and you didn't mean them. But I couldn't stop myself from thinking that way." Before Aomine could respond, Kise continued, "You didn't contact me for days after that fight...and it aggravated my anxiety. I thought since you didn't trust me, you don't want to be with me. And later, I myself thought I don't wanna be in relationship where there is no trust."

"Wait, Kise, what are you-" Aomine watched him in horror. _Is he thinking of breaking up with me?_ His heart went rigid cold and he didn't know if it was actually beating inside of him.

"But then, I changed my mind. I don't wanna break up with you." Kise said before swallowing another lump in his chest.

A certain amount of relief washed over Aomine. But what he felt was a mixture of emotions stirring within him; he didn't know what to do. For a moment, he pictured himself without Kise and he just couldn't...just can't...

"Aominecchi, y-you know..." Kise interrupted his musings. "I lost you as my closest friend once but I don't think I could afford to lose you as my boyfriend now." He cried out as he placed his hand atop Aomine's shirt and clutched it, not caring that he was wrinkling the fabric within his strong hold. As he put some distance between them, he rested his head against his chest, hunching towards it.

"You already turned your back towards me, when we were in Teiko; I don't want to lose you again." Kise tried his very best to not burst out into violent sobs as the images of Aomine pulling away from him flooded his mind. "You have no idea how I felt back again, it hurt me so much to see you like that but I also felt extremely helpless, and for a while I was angry at myself for not being able to help you. I wanted to cry but I never did because I believed in you, believed that you will be happy once again." His voice was quivering.

Aomine's retreating figure was burnt into his mind, and he didn't ever want to experience such pain again.

"So, now, I don't want to see your receding back again. Don't want to... Don't want to see the sight of you walking away from me. Don't _ever_ want to see that..."

The next set of words seems to be coiling around his neck. "T-then, I thought if my words weren't enough then my actions might _just_ do the trick. So I was ready to do anything, Aominecchi. _Anything_." He emphasized, his being caught in a jumble of feelings.

There was a tight painful clutch on Aomine's shirt, pale knuckles turned white and pink. Golden eyes couldn't refrain from tearing up again. Aomine couldn't figure out why but he didn't want to hear what Kise was going to say. What Kise had said, the words resonated in his mind. _Anything_...he said.

His fears came true when he heard Kise say, "E-even if it meant, me getting down on my knees. I would do anything to make you believe me."

Aomine's breath hitched, he felt his shirt dampen as rivulets of tears began to stroll down Kise's face. The tanned teen's heart broke into pieces; he could have never even predicted his actions would have such dire consequences.

"T-the only person I am ever so crazy about, the only person who changed my life, the only person who makes me feel alive didn't seem to trust me, and that made me question things about myself, Aominecchi. Made me think I wasn't good enough. _Not good enough for you_."

Kise couldn't bottle up his feelings anymore, words kept flowing out of his mouth and he poured everything into them, his feelings, his frustrations, his pain and his insecurities. _His everything._

Aomine stood there completely shocked out of his mind, not believing his ears. He could hear Kise's sobs and those words rang inside his head. Before he knew it, there was water pooling in his eyes. His throat felt parched up, he felt frozen on the spot like a block of ice. He hated himself for making Kise feel this way; it was his fault that Kise had such doubts and anxieties.

Letting out a few sniffles and swallowing up more of his cries, Kise looked up at Aomine. "Aominecchi! Why are you crying?!" His own water-filled eyes went wide and he never in a million years thought he would see Aomine in tears. It pained him to see them.

Because Aomine doesn't cry. He _never_ cries. Seeing tears in the endless expanse of blue eyes made Kise feel a sharp pain piercing through him.

Because the sky is _not_ supposed to cry, sadness shouldn't envelop the boundless stretch. It's supposed to _shine_.

"Because, fuck!" Aomine cursed, disrupting Kise's thoughts, a few drops dawdling down his face. He wrapped his arms around Kise and brought him closer to his body. "Kise, you're crazy." He chuckled, painfully. "I-I never meant to make you feel that way. I-I never wanted you to think that way, Kise. I never meant to hurt you. I never wanted to leave you alone; I never wanted to walk out on you. You were always there with me since Teiko but I know I pushed you away and I regretted that so much. Teiko unexpectedly, was a huge turning point for me. Before I knew it I had hurt so many people, I knew I hurt you and yet I didn't do anything about it. I knew you were there reaching out for me but I was an ass. I'm sorry about that, Kise. I could never even think of walking out on you again. I-"

"God, Aominecchi. I know you didn't mean to. I know that really well. You told me that on the call itself." Kise wiped Aomine's cheeks stained with tears.

"But, Kise, even though I didn't mean to, I still made you feel insecure, made you have such thoughts." Kise could see more tears forming and he pressed a kiss against his eyelids to stop them. The softness of Kise's lips was way too warm for Aomine.

"I know. But I just couldn't help myself, I already forgave you." Kise kissed him briefly. "I also know and understand well how you felt in Teiko."

"Kise..." What was he supposed to say? In middle school, he was miserable and heartbroken and depressed. He didn't know how to deal with such a grave situation where Basketball which was life to him suddenly seemed dull. It was a situation that never even crossed his mind. He knew he ended up screwing everything up during his sorrowful state.

Kise soothingly caressed his face. "Aominecchi, I know..." Understanding what Aomine had wanted to say. " _I know_."

After shedding the last couple of tears, Aomine placed his hand over Kise's neck and stared into his eyes. His chest hurt when he saw the blond's eyes that had become red and swollen. He wanted to kick himself for making Kise cry.

"Listen Kise," He began, his thumb brushing against his cheekbones, where he gave a loving caress. "You are an important person to me. Of course, I trust you. Believe me, I do."

"You do? You really trust me?" Kise asked with big eyes, practically begging honesty.

"Of course, I do." He smiled genuinely. "Kise, if I didn't trust you, I don't think we would have ever gotten so close. I don't think I would have ever confessed to you. During our fight, I had completely lost my mind because of jealousy. I-I was just too much of an asshole. I know there was nothing ever between you and Kasamatsu. Of course, I know your feelings, kisses and just you everything _is for me_. Okay? Believe me, I do trust you. A lot." He lightly bumped his forehead against Kise's.

There was a small smile on Kise's face. "Then, I am glad, Aominecchi. I feel happy to know this." It felt like Aomine's simple yet heartfelt words enveloped Kise's heart in a warm blanket. It felt fuzzy and peaceful.

Aomine kissed him chastely. "And for god sakes don't think crazy things like that. Don't even think of going to extreme lengths when you can directly tell me what's bothering you. You are an idiot who is really precious and valuable to me so please value yourself."

Kise smiled genuinely. All his worries and anxiety disappeared. The sincerity of Aomine continued to make him smile.

"And I won't yell like that ever again. I don't want you to be scared of me; I never wanted that, idiot." Aomine chided softly before giving him another peck on his forehead."You said you weren't good enough for me? Are you crazy? You are way too good for me. Idiot." He laughed. "And you can cry all you want, Kise. Remember how you told me my feelings aren't stupid? That applies to you too, Kise. Your tears, your feelings, your fears, your anxiety, nothing is stupid. Nothing about you is ever stupid, okay?"

Kise nodded again, smiling. "Yeah, okay." Happiness was flowing through him.

"Good." Aomine kissed him on his lips again, making Kise smile. He brought Kise's body closer to him and wrapped his arms around him. Kise rested his head on his shoulder and tightened the hug.

"Hey, it's frustrating, right?" Aomine asked after a couple of seconds while letting out a light-hearted chuckle.

Kise smiled into the hug. "Yeah, it is."

No more words were needed.

 _It feels good to be in his arms_ , was the thought submerged deep inside both of them.

Aomine could feel Kise smiling which in turn made him smile.

They stayed embracing each other into the quietness of a bathroom, they had long forgotten where they were and let each other seek comfort from the warmth that was mingling between their pressed bodies.

The silence lingering in the air was stirred when a quiet creak was heard when someone entered through the door. The two boys locked in an embrace jolted as the door next to them was shut quietly.

Kise pulled back, enough to sneak a glance at Aomine's face, a half-panicked expression on his face. Aomine whispered a quiet 'sssh' sound in his ear. Kise then buried his face into his shoulder.

When the person next door left the bathroom with a resounding click, Kise pulled back from Aomine.

The boys swiftly made their exit from the stall.

As soon as Kise stepped outside, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and a horrified look was soon painted over his face.

"Oh my god!" He sprinted towards the glass to get a closer look at himself. He screeched again.

"What is it?" Aomine questioned, sounding a bit worried.

"Aki-chan is going to kill me!"

"Huh? Who?"

"My manager! My eyes are bloodshot red, Aominecchi! I have a shoot scheduled this evening. And they look swollen!"

Aomine saw him as Kise began splashing water onto his face.

"Thank god I, at least have water-proof makeup applied on my face! Or my manager would have had my head on a platter." Kise exclaimed, trying to splash away the redness and the swollen state of his eyes.

Feeling sad again, Aomine looked down solemnly.

Upon seeing his face through the mirror, Kise splashed a palmful of water towards Aomine and watched his face get wet.

"Oi!" Aomine barked, frowning.

"Don't think of unnecessary things now. Baka Aominecchi." He giggled as he threw some more water on his face.

"You little piece of-"

Aomine made a little run towards him but Kise skilfully dodged him. He then saw Aomine huff and groan while drying his face.

Kise let out a sugary giggle and dried his own face.

"Aominecchi?" He called out; honey eyes alight with affection and gaze flickering towards Aomine meaningfully.

Said person looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Thank you." Kise said, coming close to stand before him. A pale calloused palm idly held a tanned cheek.

"For what?" A single blue eyebrow quirked at him.

"Everything." Kise couldn't help but smile. "For being you," the smile that had spread across his face touched Aomine.

"For telling me about your feelings." The blond continued, "about your insecurities, for being honest with me, for regarding me as someone precious to you, for comforting me, for hearing me out, for understanding me. _For everything_ , Aominecchi. I wouldn't have you any other way."

Tanned cheeks were dusted with a hue of crimson red. "You know, you don't have to be a big sap."

"Says the guy who called me precious and valuable." Kise snickered.

"Shut up, okay?" A feeble glare was aimed at Kise. "Anyway, I feel the same...towards you. I-I mean I could also say that to you. That — what you just said about being thankful and all that."

Kise smiled soft-heartedly and locked his arms behind his neck. He gazed deeply into his almond shaped - midnight blue eyes. "I also wanted to tell you that even if we fight in the future, even if more troubles come our way, whatever problem may arise, we will work on it together. We will talk it out. I'll share what's on my mind and I hope you will do the same." A simple kiss at the corner of Aomine's lips was given by him.

"Yeah, I will." Aomine didn't hesitate, a small smile graced his features. Quickly, he tugged Kise even closer to him.

They, then, kissed deeply, as both poured their feelings into the kiss, Aomine's arms encircling him protectively and Kise's arms around his neck lovingly.

Aomine broke apart from the kiss. "Hey, Kise?"

"Hmm?"

"You okay now?" He sounded worried.

"Yes, I am." Kise answered honestly while smiling ever so softly.

Aomine searched his face and locked gazes with honey-golden eyes, after being satisfied, he pulled Kise into another deep kiss. He nibbled on his lower lip gently, and let out a faint hum in satisfaction.

Pulling apart from him, Kise stared at him again. "Y'know, your eyes are red too, Aominecchi. But only slightly." He commented and planted another kiss near his eyes. "I don't understand one thing though."

"What?" Aomine asked.

"W-when I was umm, touching your before, why were you flinching?"

"Huh?" Confusion etched on Aomine's face.

"When you got me flowers, you looked startled right before I kissed your cheek, and also after I arrived in here, I tried to hold your hand, you flinched again."

Aomine searched his memories. "Oh that?" He bashfully rubbed his nape. "Well, it's just every time you touch me; I-I feel like, I-I don't know, like a weird spark of electricity or something like that." He breathed.

Astonishment was the only expression on Kise's face. He froze for a while as Aomine's words sunk into him. _That was kind of embarrassing_ , he thought. Then he wanted to smack himself for over thinking.

Shyly, Aomine looked away and missed the red blush passing through Kise's face.

"Hey, by the way, Aominecchi," Kise began, making him look at his face. "Don't leave me alone. If you wouldn't talk to me for long, I will get mad okay?" He changed the flow and fashioned a pout.

Aomine cackled a laugh. "Yeah, yeah, princess. Whatever you say." He teased.

"You call me princess one more time, I'm going to kick your ass." Golden orbs glinted darkly.

"Fine. Your highness." He chuckled, bowing his head towards Kise.

"That's much better." Kise whipped his head away cheekily and huffed, walking out with a proud stance.

Behind him, Aomine couldn't help but snort out another laugh.

After coming out and settling down at their table, they were asked for desserts. Kise ordered some and both ate it quietly while making small talk and letting the sweet flavour dance on their tongues.

Kise was feeling light and peaceful, and he looked so genuinely happy that Aomine had to strain his eyes to properly catch his soft features. But Aomine knew deep down, he couldn't be happier.

Paying for the bill quickly, Kise grabbed the flowers and they got up to leave.

The waiter, Jay Hara, greeted Kise and Aomine again and shared his concern over something.

"Hello, Kise-san and Aomine-san, you both were gone away from the table for a long time. I was worried something bad must have happened. I hope that isn't the case." The light furrow in his eyebrows clearly indicated the sincerity of the tone.

"Oh, no, don't worry, Hara-san." Kise waved off. "Aominecchi here was being a cry baby so I had to comfort him." Before he could giggle Aomine had him in a headlock.

"What did you say, you little brat?" He started grinding his fist on top of a particular blond head. "Who was being a cry baby and who had to comfort who again?" He taunted a smirk but also a frown danced across his face.

"Waaahh! Aominecchi, stop! Stop!" He dramatically flailed, laughing while doing so. "You're bullying me again." Little strings of sweet laughter rippled out of Kise.

Hara-san stared at Kise for a while.

"Kise-san, you look happy." He commented upon seeing the playful banter of the boys, smiling.

"Eh?" Kise cocked his head to look at him.

"Nothing." He shook his head but the smile remained fixated on his face. "I hope to see you again, Kise-san and Aomine-san." He said, bowing politely.

"We'd love to come again." Kise said as he and Aomine bowed in return. "The food's great as ever." He said, grinning widely.

"Oh, yeah. The meaty dish was so good." Aomine chimed in.

"And so was the dessert." Kise added joyfully.

Hara-san couldn't stop from smiling. And he watched the duo leave the place, hoping they would really visit the place in near future.

Stepping outside, Kise and Aomine were once again met with the city's hustle bustle. All the noises infiltrated Kise's ears but the contentedness that sprung within him drowned out everything.

Kise gazed up, towards the blue sky. No clouds covered it, it looked blindingly bright. The blazing along with vibrant rays of the sun was spread across the horizon, causing it to illuminate everything.

Glancing at Aomine, Kise grinned ear-to-ear at him making Aomine beam at him in return, the smile stretched across his features, the smile Kise had so often seen in Teiko; all toothy and happy. He was then swiftly grabbed by Aomine and felt his hair being ruffled; the warm palm of Aomine's began brushing through his golden locks lovingly.

As his heart skipped a beat, he realized something crucial that will forever be ingrained in his mind and heart.

 _The sky shines brighter with the sun by its side._

* * *

 **I try so hard to make chapters short but I fail every time (-_-) *sighs* But I can't help it, there is just so much going on between these idiots.**  
 **Have I ever told you people, I am extremely bad with chapter titles? Haha, yeah, I am ;-;**  
 **Anyway, next chapter is the literal continuation to this one :)**  
 **And last but not least, my lovely beta reader Badlybroken0028 has started a new AoKise prison AU fanfic. Check out her amazing work "We Found Love In A Hopeless Place"**

 **I hope you fabulous readers like this chapter :)  
Let me know what your thoughts are on this chapter. Thank you so much for reading! ^^**


	23. Proud Of You

**Lemonda Ara - Yes, Aomine has changed significantly. He has learnt that his actions can hurt other people and will now be careful. With Kise, I'm sure that he will definitely be more careful. And thank you for leaving a review again. I always look forward to what you have to say.**

 **kandita - Thank you so much for leaving multiple reviews on my fiction and even more so for taking the time to read it. I highly appreciate it. As for what happens after college or NBA or how and whether they will come to their parents, I am not going to inculcate those scenarios in here. This fiction will end when they are in high school itself. But if you asked me, I'd say they would go to different college and move in together. Aomine might pursue being a cop or a pro Basketball player. I think they would come out to their family when they are in 20s or after they cross 18? Yeah...something like that. I know what you mean, Momoi needs love too, but I'm not going to pair her up with Tetsu. I have plans for her but not going to explore that in this fic. But, I'll reveal who I've paired her with at the end of this fiction. Until then, I hope you stick around, haha!**

 **Well, here is the new chapter.**

* * *

"Ne, are you sulking, Aominecchi?" Kise asked, his demeanour teasing, an eyebrow arching in amusement.

"Hah! Don't be ridiculous." Refusing flat out, Aomine tried to act like he was unaffected for a moment there.

"To me, it looks like you are." As the retort was put forth, there was a stupid grin coating the blond's face.

"Yeah, perhaps in your dreams, blondie." Aomine scoffed, quipping in return while his blue eyes twinkled with mirth. Teasing Kise will never get tedious.

Crossing his arms, Kise averted his gaze from Aomine. A sullen expression heavily falling on his features.

Aomine had offered to walk Kise back to the station but Kise had to decline since he said his manager is going to drive him to Kanagawa. After telling Aomine this, Kise saw the slightest twitch in his face morphing something akin to disappointment but it disappeared as soon as it surfaced. That's what led Kise to tease him a little but Aomine, obviously, would have none of that or probably wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Grumbling internally, he was thinking how mean Aomine is. _It wouldn't hurt him to actually complain or something_. His lips circled into a pout.

After seeing Kise sulking and his slightly trembling lips, Aomine scratched his cheek. "Hey," He conceded, trying to catch Kise's attention. And catch Kise's attention it did, as golden eyes turned towards him.

Aomine took a step towards his frame and he didn't hesitate to cup Kise's cheek. As his eyes gazed gently at him, he perceived Kise's eyes widening slightly but relaxing soon enough. "I could have walked you back to the station but I know it couldn't be helped since its work. I could have also asked you to reschedule but then again, I can't." He smiled at him warmly and Kise swore he could hear his heart stop beating. "So, next time... I hope we will be able to spend some more time together. Don't be upset anymore, okay?" He then let go of his cheek to tousle his hair.

Kise's eyes softened. Why does Aomine has to be like this? Saying such things out of the blue, being this sweet, hoping for something good for their next meeting, why does he have to be so damn good? He contemplated light-heartedly. A faint sigh escaped his lips but soon, a little mischievous smirk spread across them. "Y'know," he began, "If we were alone now, Aominecchi, I would have kissed you _really_ hard."

Kise earned a rich, smooth laugh in return. "Really now?" Aomine entered his personal space, and challenged the blond's smirk with his own. "What else would you have done?" Asking playfully, the blue haired teen dared him to answer.

And... Well, Kise Ryouta never backs down from challenges. The blond gulped heavily when he felt Aomine's body heat radiating and caressing his own skin, making it hotter by the passing second. Afterwards, the smirk on his lips turned into a smug one and he proceeded to tip his head closer to him. His eyes began to rake over Aomine's figure, starting from his head and slowly came to settle on his waist. He unknowingly let out a sultry chuckle, causing Aomine's pulse to race faster.

"Well...let's just say..." He began carefully as he brought his fingertips to settle on Aomine's belt. Aomine sucked in harshly upon seeing his actions.

Kise was aware that Aomine was already breathing raggedly, he could feel it — his hot breath breezed through his skin — near his neck. He knew he was getting to him, provoking him, but he didn't want to stop. He really had a strong urge to push Aomine against something, kiss him hard and suck the air out of his lungs. Probably feel his entire body under his fingertips, his soft lips brushing on his skin, his kisses, his touches...his _everything_.

Swiping his tongue over his lower lip — midnight eyes following his every moment, Kise didn't hesitate to hook a single finger under Aomine's belt shamelessly. He didn't care that he was in a public area, all he knew at this very moment is that he could do unspeakable things with Aomine.

 _W-what is going on?_ Aomine couldn't help but feel his body getting feverish even though Kise wasn't directly touching any part of his skin.

Biting his lower lip, Kise started speaking in a hushed tone, "I-I just know..." He worried his lower lip, his own breaths coming out in short puffs and his heart doing flips. "Aominecchi, I-if we were alone..."

He caught Aomine staring at his face and batted his eyelashes beguilingly.

Aomine saw amber eyes transforming into a shade darker like molten lava; he swore he could see the red and yellow hues of fire dancing across his eyes, his pupils were dilating, and then he noticed that Kise's lips turned grew red due to the biting. He blinked once trapped in a trance, and in a moment he realized that lovely dark amber irises were filled with want, desire and passion.

"If we were alone then what Kise? Then what?" Aomine found his lips moving, urging Kise to speak up further, his brain and his heart caught and lost in molten lava eyes.

Aomine took a heavy gulp of anticipation and excitement. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down and Kise stared at it with lust running through his veins. _So sexy_. He wouldn't mind sucking on that. He tore his eyes off of his neck and locked gazes with Aomine again.

"Then..." He paused. "This belt of yours would have been long come off by now." He tugged the metallic material underneath to emphasize, his hot breath against Aomine's. "And so would have mine." He purred meticulously, his tone of voice dropping to downright irresistible. " _Ao~mi~ne~cchi~_ " He dragged each syllable with such seductiveness that Aomine froze.

He froze like a block of ice, like every cell and nerve in his body ceased to function. His heart, his brain, his eyes, his very being came to a standstill.

Kise ran his hand through his blond hair, never taking his eyes off of Aomine and withdrew from him.

After noticing Aomine's amusing state, Kise started to laugh. "This is a pleasant reaction from you." He cooed, arrogantly. "I do know that I'm naturally seductive, but you see, _this_ is what I call _intentional_ seduction, Aominecchi. And, if you can't handle the fervid flames of fire then I suggest you to not play with it." His laughter died down in chuckles.

Aomine hadn't made a movement or a sound since Kise had said those words. He only and only stared at the blond. He didn't blink, didn't breathe, neither was there even a single twitch of his eyes.

The place where Kise hooked his fingers on — _burned_ , the words that Kise uttered — _ignited_ a fire within him, the eyes that Aomine saw — he wanted to burn _in them_.

Seeing Aomine, Kise scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion. _Why isn't he saying anything?_

"Aominecchi?" He tilted his head. But he received no response.

"Oi, Aominecchi?" He called out a little louder this time but again to no avail.

"Earth to Aominecchi!" He waved his hand in front of Aomine's face in another fail attempt.

He, then, grabbed Aomine's shoulders and began shaking him back and forth. "Aominecchi, come back to Earth!"

Aomine was then brought out of his trance and he blinked it away several times. "I-that-you-Kise..." He spluttered, completely at a loss of words, making Kise laugh again — the sound of it sexy and dangerous.

It took him another couple of minutes to return to sanity. Inhaling, he inquired, "I thought you didn't like touching of any kind in public?"

"Hmmm, but I didn't touch you right?" Kise smirked, winking at him.

Aomine cursed under his breath.

* * *

Aomine tore his eyes away from him as they began walking away from the restaurant. "Where are we going?" He questioned.

"Back to the agency."

"Why?"

"Aki-chan told me to come meet him at the entrance of the agency after my lunch was over."

The couple reached the entrance soon and Kise fished out his phone from his pocket to call his manager.

Aomine gazed up at the tall building covered in countless glass frames.

Soon, he heard the blond talking on the call. "Aki-chan, I'm done with my lunch and waiting for you at the entrance." There was a pause. "What? You aren't done? Ak- Oh Okay- No, it's oka- I don't mind, Aki-chan. Yes-okay. Yup, got it!"

The phone call then ended. Kise saw Aomine glimpse at him. "Aki-chan finished his work late and now he is eating lunch. Almost done, he said. He also said that he will bring the car around after he is finished."

Nodding, Aomine made no verbal statement.

The air smelled of sun, Kise was smiling slightly beside him, and Aomine found himself reluctant to leave. He, like Kise, had genuinely wished to spend more time with him; but he consoled himself.

"I can't believe you call your manager Aki-chan, Kise. How does he even let you call that?" He thought back to the conversation he had with his manager.

"Mou, Aominecchi. My manager's name is really long. It's Akiyoshi and Aki-chan sounds cute, don't you think?!"

His response was brushed off when azure eyes rolled heavily in their sockets.

"Ne, Aominecchi..."

"What?"

"How about I call you Ao-chan?"

"Ugh..." Aomine groaned, catching Kise's face from the corner of his eye, and then dragged his palm across his face. "You're kidding me!" He bemoaned exasperatedly.

"Haha, of course I am!"

"Good, or else I would have kicked you."

Kise laughed breathily in response. "Well, Aominecchi will always be Aomine _cchi_."

 _Damn!_ Aomine grinded his teeth, he felt his cheeks go warmer. Why does Kise has to have such an effect on him? It sometimes frustrates him how even the simplest things about Kise throws him off, how even the simplest things that Kise says melts him away. He took a deep breath hoping that it would calm his racing heart down.

The sun was blazing high in the sky and Kise heaved a sigh, he still had a long day ahead of him. These are one of those days where he has to work and work and work until everybody is satisfied. He has a shoot waiting for him at Kanagawa, which again, would take hours and hours. He couldn't wait to be done with this tiring day.

He opted to enjoy Aomine's company; although he was dreading that he had to leave. He wasn't even sure he would be able to meet Aomine the following week since his schedule is already packed with work and Basketball practice.

"Anyway, Aominecchi, what are you going-" Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes caught a flash of familiar pink but it seemed to go out of his sight in the horde of people.

 _Eh? Could it be?_ No. He shook his head. "I was asking, what are-" He stopped again when he saw the flash of pink hair again.

Aomine glanced at Kise and noticed that he was inspecting around in the swarm of the people who were passing by. He seemed to be searching for something with his face contorted in a peculiar expression.

Shaking his head again, Kise denied his instinct. Before he turned his gaze towards Aomine, he muttered, "What do you have planned-" then he quickly saw the flash of long hair transpiring into a fully-fledged head of pink hair, the owner too familiar.

"Wait... I-is that Momocchi?" Hearing Kise's inane yet rather believable question caused Aomine to snap his head at the direction where Kise's eyes were locked onto.

And, indeed, it was her.

Aomine groaned inwardly. A deep frown made its way on his face.

"Momocchi!" Kise suddenly called out. He waved his hand in the air, to get her attention. Cue to his action and much to Aomine's chagrin, she came sprinting towards them.

"Oh my god, Ki-chan! Dai-chan!" She beamed. "What a surprise to see you here!" She came to halt before them while clapping her hands.

Aomine was fuming a bit inside. _Should she be really surprised to see Kise at the agency he works at?_

"It's been so long since we've met Ki-chan!" She rejoiced, pulling Kise into a warm and a brief hug.

"Yes, it has Momocchi." He smiled brightly, returning the embrace. "I invited Aominecchi to have lunch with me. And now we're waiting for my manager to arrive. He will be driving me back to Kanagawa." He explained. "But what are you doing here?"

"I came here to shop!" She replied enthusiastically. "There is a cute boutique around here, and–" She stopped mid-sentence when her eyes landed on Kise's eyes and she finally let herself take a concentrated look of his face.

Her eyes seemed to bulge in shock. "Wait..." She muttered silently causing Kise to quirk his brow in question.

Now, Momoi is a very observant person. It doesn't take long for her to realize and recognize even the subtlest differences in her friends. She knows and can predict the causes and consequences of actions, she simply calls it "woman instinct" and she knows she is never wrong. It quickly dawned to her what must have happened and the evidence that lay before her eyes was a proof enough. As she continued staring down at the golden eyes which were faintly red and a tad swollen, she slowly turned her gaze towards Aomine.

"What is it?" Kise questioned, confused by the sudden halt in her speech.

 _"_ _Aomine Daiki..."_ She began, her voice dropping low in a threatening tone, enough to alarm her childhood friend.

The said person felt himself grow cold. He had heard that tone before; there is absolutely no mistaking it. _The demon Satsuki is coming out again._ Then he saw Momoi coming towards him with languid but heavy steps. Her behaviour perplexed Kise.

"Did you... perhaps..." Her tone made Aomine swallow hard and he instinctively stepped away from her. Kise glanced at Aomine when he noticed that Aomine has gotten out of his peripheral vision, in what he could only sense and guess was slight trepidation.

"...make Ki-chan cry?" And then the corner of her lips twisted up, and she flashed that same wicked grin at Aomine that he wished he would never have to see again. By now, there were alarm bells going off in his head. A dangerous dark aura began emanating from her. He remembered Momoi's warning, she had clearly stated that if he hurt Kise again, he was going to pay. She never mentioned how he will pay, but he sure as hell didn't want to find out now. He had to diffuse the situation _now_ , that is, _if_ he valued his life.

Kise turned his eyes at Momoi and then at Aomine and then back and forth. It didn't take long for him to notice that Momoi was acting out of sorts. Goosebumps arose on his skin. He knew he had to butt in. "I actually cried on my own accord, Momocchi." He gushed, diffusing the situation for Aomine.

"And besides, Aominecchi cried too." He added skilfully.

Momoi stared at Aomine's eyes. "What are you saying? It doesn't look like he cried, Ki-chan."

"Eh?" The blond said. He squinted his eyes at Aomine and grabbed his face suddenly, almost squishing his face within his grasp. He shoved Aomine's face towards Momoi.

"Oi, Kise, what the hell are you doing?" Aomine barked but Kise paid no heed to him.

"See? Momocchi, Aominecchi did cry. Just that, his eyes aren't as red as mine." He shoved his face further causing Aomine to let out a loud groan.

"Kise, you bast-"

"Oh, yes, I do see it now, Ki-chan! It's really not evident." She shoved Aomine's face away from her. "And, I don't want to see this ganguro's ugly face so closely."

Kise giggled and let go of Aomine's face.

"You know, I should kill you both." The ganguro grunted while rubbing his cheeks, peeved by their antics.

Momoi heaved a sigh and her eyebrows knitted together. "I don't understand, why are you both so angsty?!" Genuine worry appeared on her face.

"Oh, Momocchi, don't worry. Everything is fine now." Kise offered her a reassuring smile.

She scrutinized their faces and after being convinced, relief washed over her. "Well...if Ki-chan says so..."

 _These two are such idiots_. She shook her head and then her gaze fell upon the flowers which were in Kise's grasp.

She froze, feeling genuinely surprised when she saw Kise holding a bunch of flowers. She connected the dots and arrived at the conclusion that Aomine had given the flowers to him.

She noted how those flowers were Sunflowers and White Tulips, tied up elegantly. She gasped silently when the meaning of the flowers entered her mind.

 _Sunflowers for Adoration and White Tulips for Forgiveness._

She wondered and pondered whether Aomine knew what the flowers stood for; but she couldn't bring herself to ask the question, thinking it's somewhat of a private matter, for the both of them. She couldn't help but feel a sweet smile tugging on her face.

A sense of pride over Aomine came over her.

 _He does know how to treasure someone._

 _Dai-chan, Ki-chan_. She has known Aomine since her childhood and Kise since middle school. Things were always like a roller coaster ride between them, now she could feel this particular ride coming to a peaceful standstill. For a moment, tears appeared in her fuchsia eyes but she blinked them away.

There was a little tilt of the blond head. "Is something wrong, Momocchi?" He noticed the strange set of emotions on her face.

Laughing away her sentimental state, she whispered, "No, nothing's wrong. I-I'm just really happy."

Both the boys glanced at each other and then at her.

Before either of them could say anything, Momoi spoke up, "Oh, Ki-chan, now that we have met again, we should stay in touch." She glanced at Aomine and smirked. "We should text all the time."

Kise piped up and agreed. "Sure, Momocchi! I'd be happy to!"

Aomine deadpanned.

"Yes! We could talk about so much stuff. About fashion, you can give me tips, we can talk about Basketball."

"Will you try to extort some data from me to use it against Kaijō? Hmm?" He cooed.

"Oh come on, Ki-chan, what do you think?" She winked.

"Oi! Are you guys just forgetting about me?! That I'm actually here?" Aomine tipped in, slinging his arm around Kise's shoulder.

"How can we forget you, when you are _right here_ , Dai-chan?" She teased.

"Satsuki, you-" Before he could finish his sentence, Kise spoke up, "Now, now, Aominecchi..." He patted his back.

Momoi chortled. "Ki-chan, we could also gather together to complain about Dai-chan!"

"Oh my god! I would love to do that!" Kise chimed in, too enthusiastically, only to annoy the teen next to him.

"Oi! What the hell?!" Aomine protested incredulously.

"What?" Momoi focused at him. "Or do you prefer Ki-chan talking about you to Kasamatsu-san?" Her eyes glinted with mischievous intent. And her statement effectively shut Aomine up. He opened his mouth and glanced towards Kise but soon closed it as he found no words coming out.

 _This is interesting._ Kise let out a giggle.

Aomine's lips twisted into a scowl. But he didn't feel any resentment neither did he found himself getting overly upset with the thought of Kise talking to Kasamatsu, even if the subject of the conversation was himself.

"Yeah, you can, Kise. I don't have a problem with that." He rested his hand on Kise's back, out of Momoi's sight. "And that's because I trust you." Smiling ever so softly at Kise, he found that he wasn't afraid to utter such words even if Momoi was in front of them.

There was a sudden silence hanging in the air, transpiring into a pregnant one.

Momoi was taken aback and Kise's eyes went wide. His statement made Kise feel a bit bashful but too happy. He ended up thinking how freaking cool Aomine is. A blush crept on his face and he wished to escape or wished that the planet Earth would swallow him whole.

Argh, Kise groaned, biting his inner cheek. "A-Aominecchi, I trust you too and instead of complaining to others, I would directly confront you."

A grin broke out on Aomine's face. "You're damn right!" He wanted to press his lips against Kise's; but instead he felt satisfied as he saw a blush marring the blond's cheeks.

 _Wow...what a remarkable progress_. She noticed. Aomine tends to hesitate to say his inner thoughts at times, and now he just broke past his barrier. As she perceived the changes in her friends, she felt a warm smile appearing on her face.

"A-anyway, which boutique are you going to shop in Momocchi?" Kise asked, changing the line of the conversation whilst remembering what she said earlier. He didn't think he could handle the conversation any further, his stomach and heart was thudding loudly inside of him.

"It's right around the corner. It's called "American Blues"."

"Really? I know that shop! It has the best clothes and at a reasonable price. It has an amazing collection."

Momoi nodded eagerly. "I know right?! It sounds expensive but-"

Aomine grumbled loudly, the sound interrupting their conversation. To him, it seemed like they had forgotten about his existence again and now, they are going in their own lala shopping land.

Momoi was then distracted and only then that her gaze flickered towards Aomine. She smiled softly at him.

As Kise opened his mouth to say something, a honk of a car approaching them from the traffic interrupted him. The trio glanced towards the vehicle and saw it parking at their side of the road.

"Oh, Aki-chan's here." Kise spoke, making Momoi flick her eyes up at Aomine in question.

"His manager." Aomine answered.

After her curiosity being satisfied, Momoi gave a small nod and looked back at the car. She saw the window sill of it being driven down.

"Kise-k-" His manager began but stopped mid-way, seeing he had company. _Kise-kun isn't alone? This is new,_ his eyebrows lifted up in slight surprise. He thought it would be polite to talk to his...what he assumed were — friends.

Aomine saw a man with auburn-coloured hair who he guessed is middle-aged – step out of his car. He had a few wrinkles around his eyes, a smile on his face and professionalism dripping from his persona.

"Aki-chan, you're finally here." The blond beamed. His manager managed to curb a sigh. How many times does he have to tell Kise not to call him _that_. "Yes, Kise-kun, I am," was all he could say. Kise beamed again, his manager swore it was like a puppy that was wagging its tail. He couldn't help but smile at his endearing behaviour.

"I see you have company today." Akiyoshi stated, fixing his eyes on Aomine and Momoi.

"Yes, this is Aomine Daiki," Kise began, gesturing towards him, "and she is Momoi Satsuki. They are my friends from middle school." He smiled, "Aominecchi, Momocchi meet my manager - Hiroshigeki Akiyoshi. I just had lunch with Aominecchi and met Momocchi now."

"Oh... I see." Akiyoshi nodded in acknowledgement. "Hello, Momoi-kun," He said and Momoi greeted back. "Hello, Hiroshigeki-san."

"And hello Aomine-ku-" He turned towards Aomine but he blinked in realization recalling what Kise had referred Aomine just a second ago. "You're Aomine-kun? As in Aominecchi?"

Aomine nodded hesitantly. "Y-yes, I am. Good to meet you, Hiroshigeki-san."

"Yes, it is and I already know a bit about you, Aomine-kun. Kise-kun has talked about you before." He stated.

Kise's head snapped back at his manager. _What did he just say?_

"Really?" Aomine couldn't help but wonder. So, Kise talks about him with other people? "What did he say? I hope nothing too bad." He briefly glanced at Kise.

"Oh, it isn't anything bad. In fact, he always sounds so fond of you."

"Wait, Aki-chan, what are you saying?" Panic rose through Kise, he started racking his memories to know if he had let his relationship with Aomine slip by; upon founding none, he exhaled in relief but still remained bewildered.

"Yeah, didn't you tell me that Aomine-kun was the one who introduced Basketball to you, back in middle school?"

"Oh yeah, that..." Kise laughed nervously.

"And you used to tell me how cool he is with starry eyes." He added further.

"What? I never talk about him with star-"

"Oh, really?" Aomine cut him off, smirking arrogantly. "He brags about me, huh?" He chuckled in amusement.

Embarrassment was creeping inside of Kise.

"Haha, yes. You should hear how the stuff he says; he is always going on about the cool moves that you play in the court."

Aomine's smirk widened.

"One day, he came to a shoot after seeing your match with another team and he actually called you 'beautiful' and 'graceful'." He let out a chuckle, as he went back to the said memory. He remembers the moment vividly in his mind considering how much Kise smiles whenever he talks about him or how much Kise looks up to him.

A dumbfounded expression formed on Kise's face. He couldn't believe that his manager has just said that in front of...in front of Aomine... _his now boyfriend_. He felt embarrassed to the point of wishing that he really wouldn't mind if this planet indeed swallowed him. He couldn't even dare to peek at Aomine because he knew for sure Aomine's intense gaze would be on him.

Indeed, his hunch was right. Azure eyes were locked on him. What he didn't know was Aomine was equally embarrassed, probably more so than Kise himself.

"O-oi, Kise!" He barked. "Are you an idiot? How could you say that? I-I'm a guy you know?!" He sounded completely flustered, his tone a little loud.

"Hah? I'm not an idiot Aominecchi. I meant it and I still feel the same way." He mirrored Aomine's flustered state. "You are really beautiful and graceful and cool!"

Everything went eerily silent.

Fuck! Kise was so ready to vanish into thin air as soon as he said those words. Why did he have to say that?

 _This is so embarrassing and really mushy,_ Momoi mused, although she was highly amused. Her idiotic friends are a great source of entertainment; she laughed inwardly.

Meanwhile, Aomine's eyes were busy bulging out of their sockets, and he kept staring at Kise in astonishment. A slight blush on his cheeks was enough to tell that he was feeling extremely sheepish. He doesn't usually receive such compliments from anyone. "I..." The words were just a whisper, which went unheard by everyone. He was at a loss for words.

God, why is he in front of people now? Couldn't he just disappear? He glanced at Kise again...fuck, Kise's face turned red all the way to the tip of his ears and Aomine swore. He swore to all the gods up there if he were alone with Kise, he would have grabbed him, touched him and kissed him anywhere and everywhere, from the crown of his head to the tip of his toes, he wouldn't let him go even if his life depended on him. Because god damn it! He fucking loves being admired by Kise, he feels happy that the guy he can't get enough of, can't stop admiring him. It makes him happy to no extent.

Akiyoshi felt a little awkward, he could sense the tension between Kise and Aomine. He wondered what had just happened. Shaking his head, he glanced at his wrist watch; he realized, he doesn't have much time to dwell on thinking. If they didn't leave now they might arrive at the agency late. "Anyway, Kise-kun," He began, glancing back at Kise, "We should probab-... Hey... What's with your eyes?" He was quick to question. "Why do they look puffy?" Worry filled him. Kise looked fine earlier in the day. _Did he cry later in the day?_

"Oh, that... W-well..." Kise pursed his lips; he had no idea what to say. He couldn't just blurt out something like, _Yeah, my boyfriend and I were making out in a public bathroom but I started crying in the middle of it and practically had a breakdown._

He was broken out of his reverie when his manager said, "Kise-kun, you have a photoshoot back home, you can't just look like this and we also cannot reschedule, you know very well the client is strict."

Kise flashed an apologetic face at him.

Momoi caught on Kise's inner turmoil; she thought she could provide a solution. "Uh, don't worry, Hiroshigeki-san, Ki-chan has an hour ride back to Kanagawa, right? Till then the puffiness will go away. Plus, I'm sure the makeup will help him."

"Yes, it will." Aomine pulled Kise towards him. "The puffiness has reduced significantly." His eyes landed on Kise's face and ruffled his hair with a soft smile. "Don't worry, Kise will be fine in a while."

"Aominecchi~" Kise giggled in a sweet tone. "Yes, Aki-chan. I will be fine soon." A bright smile formed on his features.

"I hope so, Kise-kun. I'm very sure that make-up will help you, also I think they can be photo-shopped right out." He studied his face. "Anyway, I see that you bought flowers." He commented after spotting the bouquet Kise was holding.

"Oh, uh...that... I didn't buy them." The next words came out as a whisper. "Aominecchi gave them to me." His manager didn't miss a small smile gracing his face and a light pink blush adorning his cheeks.

 _A guy giving flowers to another guy? Well, that's new too..._ He looked back and forth between Kise and Aomine. "You two are really close, huh?"

The duo that stood in front of him, seemed like deers caught in headlights. Kise gulped, he hadn't exactly contemplated how his manager would react if he finds about his relationship with Aomine.

"Anyway, we should get going Kise-kun." Akiyoshi declared again, snapping Kise out of his thoughts. "I must say, it's not every day that I get to meet Kise-kun's friends so it's really nice to meet you kids." The smile on his face was warm and soft.

"Oh, it was nice to meet you too." Momoi said.

Aomine tugged Kise near and started stretching his cheeks. "Yes and thank you for taking care of this idiot here."

Kise began to laugh even though his cheeks were stinging a bit. "Aominesshi, you are an idiot yourshelf! And lemme go!" He cried out comically.

His manager promptly noticed how much happy Kise looked. The blond's smile felt real, the corner of his eyes were crinkling. His eyes had a certain type of shine as if they were smiling themselves. In a moment, he came to a realization; Kise doesn't usually let other people get thisclose to him...not where it would seem like he shed tears with them, neither did he accepted any flowers from anyone, ever. This was... _nice_. _Aomine Daiki, huh..._ He etched his name in his brain after seeing such a circumstance. _Interesting person,_ he mused.

Feeling Kise grab his wrists and tug them away, Aomine let him go but not before flicking his forehead and earning a whine along with a giggle from the blond.

Aomine couldn't help but laugh himself. Kise had to be cute at all times.

Momoi couldn't help but think how cute her friends are.

Akiyoshi couldn't help but feel immensely joyful at how natural and genuinely radiated Kise was with his friends.

"Alright, Kise-kun, let's go. We can't afford to be late today." He smiled.

"Okay, Aki-chan." Kise then saw his manager turn his back to enter the car.

"Aominecchi," Kise called his name quietly. "I'm really happy that everything is clear between us now." He offered his most loving smile to him. He gulped hard, he wished to kiss Aomine but he was aware that he can't do that as of this moment. He glanced back and saw his manager inserting the keys in. He can give him a simple peck right? Yes, he can, he decided.

"Okay, Aominecchi, I'll see you soon." Kise leaned in and kissed him quickly on his cheek.

Blushing, Aomine muttered, "Y-yeah..."

The blond smiled again and turned towards Momoi who was blushing herself. "Momocchi, it was great seeing you today. Let's go on a shopping spree sometime."

Momoi grinned. "Sure, Ki-chan and let's bring Dai-chan too. He loves shopping!"

Aomine was slightly smiling but it vanished when he heard Momoi say such things. "I hate shopping, Kise. Don't you dare!"

Laughing again, Kise hugged both of them.

"Kise-kun! Let's go!" His manager called out.

"Hai!" He answered and got in the car. Sliding the window sill down, he frantically waved. "Bye, Momocchi and Aominecchi. I'll see you later." He grinned ear-to-ear.

They all greeted goodbye to each other and Aomine saw the car start and go off in the sea of vehicles on the road. He heaved a long sigh.

Turning away, Aomine suddenly felt a pang in his chest, mostly because Kise had just left and he was already missing his stupid smile.

Unknown to him, Momoi's eyes were locked onto his features like a hawk. She studied every detail of his face and the changes in his expressions.

Seeing the interactions between Kise and Aomine caused her chest to swell up with pride and happiness. Aomine, her stupid childhood friend could very well handle the consequences of his actions and he has learned how to treat a person, how to apologize, how to consider a person's feelings into account. Before she knew it, there were tears welling up in her eyes and not long after, she let out a sniffle that caught Aomine's attention.

He glanced at her only to become shocked to see his childhood friend cry. "Oi, Satsuki, why the hell are you crying? What happened?"

More sniffles were heard from Momoi as she tried to speak up. Again, Aomine had no idea why she started crying like Kise had a while ago.

"D-Dai-chan...I-" She croaked out.

"What's wrong?" Aomine was starting to feel bad. Why is everybody close to him crying today? Did he do something stupid again?

Rubbing her tears away, she finally heeded Aomine. "Dai-chan..." Her voice came out in a soft whisper.

"Satsuki, tell me what happened..." He almost sounded pleading.

"Nothing, just..." She paused, in an attempt to stop her tears. "I'm just..." Pursing her lips, she peered at him ever so softly. She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his big torso.

Aomine felt a little awkward as he felt her hug out of nowhere. "What are you doing?"

"Hugging you, Dai-chan." She smiled.

"I can see that..." He replied still feeling a little awkward.

Momoi couldn't help but laugh at her dummy friend. "I just...I'm really proud of you, Dai-chan." And she was, she was so proud of him, her friend was growing up and it felt really bittersweet to her.

"Hah?" He enquired.

"You're growing up, Dai-chan. I'm so proud of you. Ki-chan is really happy with you." She was going to cry again, but she stopped the tears in time.

Aomine grounded his teeth, he was feeling extremely embarrassed. Kise complimenting him, Momoi complimenting him...everything was getting too much for him to handle.

He sighed and finally reciprocated her hug, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Do you think Kise is really happy with me?" His question was full of curiosity and hopefulness.

Momoi pulled away from him to lock her eyes with his. "Yes, he really is." She answered confidently. "I could tell Dai-chan, he looked really happy and just a bit sad when he had to leave and well, so did you." She let out a fond giggle.

"Uhh..." He knew he was going to blush. "Well...I..." What was he supposed to say? He had been wondering if he made Kise happy. He made him cry but Kise and he had talked things out, they agreed they will communicate properly. But, it still made him feel terrible to see someone who is lovable to him, cry because of him. He doubted whether Kise is really happy and after listening to Momoi and talking to Kise, he found his doubts erasing.

A soft smile appeared on his lips. "Thank you..." He mumbled, making Momoi's eyebrows shoot up.

Eh? Did she hear him right? Did Aomine just thank her? "Dai-chan?"

He caught her from the corner of his eyes. "Well...I just think...that...well...if it wasn't for you...if you were not there..." He paused, realizing he has to actually phrase his sentence properly. Giving his nape a little scratch, he felt a mixture of confidence and sheepishness swirling inside of him.

"If you didn't help me out, if you weren't there for me, I-I think, I would have still been a huge idiot. I mean, it's because of you, I had the courage to accept my feelings towards Kise, you also gave me courage to confess to him, it's because of you that I realized I had to make it right no matter what... You just...really supported me and I'm really thankful for that. You gave me advices whenever I needed it. So...uh, yeah...thank you."

"Dai-chan..." As soon as she murmured his name, she started sobbing, the tears just cascaded down her face.

Aomine was taken back. "O-oi!" He patted her head, in an effort to stop her from crying.

But she didn't...she couldn't stop crying. "I-I'm just so proud of Dai-chan." She managed to say in between sobs.

People were starting to stare towards Aomine and Momoi which went noticed by Aomine. "Satsuki, please stop crying. People are staring at us and probably thinking that I'm being rude to you, thinking that I'm making a girl cry."

"B-but-Dai-chan..." She whined a little, her tears slowly coming to a stop.

"I had enough of crying today, please stop it." He said, looking comically pitiful.

Momoi laughed as she stopped crying altogether. "Fine. See, I've stopped crying." A small smile on her face was enough to reassure Aomine and he breathed a sigh of relief.

She grinned.

"Now then, how about we go shopping?!" She clapped her hands together.

"Over my dead body woman!"

Momoi cackled loudly.

* * *

"Kise-kun, don't sleep in the car, okay? Your eyes will become puffier if you do." His manager warned. Being a model's manager, he knows how to care of them. He isn't all that well-versed about maintaining appearances, but he does know some basic stuff.

"Eh? No, I'm not going to sleep." Kise spoke, tilting his head to his manager's side.

"I'm just saying because you always sleep when I drive you in the afternoons. It's become a habit of yours."

Kise let out a hum. "I don't feel sleepy at all." He clutched the flowers in his grasp gently and went back to watch the various things out of the window as usual.

Akiyoshi sighed softly. "Okay. Nevertheless... I, uh... wanted to tell you I'm happy for you."

Kise now turned his face towards his manager completely, feeling puzzled.

"Well, your friends seem really nice."

"Oh? Yeah, Aominecchi and Momocchi, both are really nice." There was a radiant smile gracing his face.

"Yeah... I just wanted to say that I feel really happy to see that there are certain people in your life, in front of whom, you don't mind laying your guard down." He glanced at Kise to catch his expression.

"What do you mean?"

Gripping the steering wheel tighter in his grip, he reminisced back. "Before you joined the agency... Did you know that _I_ was the one who actually convinced the head recruiter of the Tokyo agency to give you a chance at modelling?"

"Wha...No, I didn't." All Kise knew is that his sister provided them his headshots and the next thing he remembers is being called in.

"Yes, when your eldest sister submitted your headshots to us, you really caught my eye. I instantly thought you have great potential, even though you were just a kid. I could sense that you would become somewhat of an idol when you are trained and when you have gained enough experience. When I met you I was really happy with my decision to recruit you, you lived up to my expectations and actually surpassed them. I came to find that you are a very positive, friendly, and a bubbly kid who can capture people's hearts in just a heartbeat; but as the time went by, as you met a lot of people in this industry, as you even made some friends, I started noticing that you always maintained a certain distance with them. You were sure to never get too close with them, you didn't develop exclusive personal relationships with them, and neither did you crave that company. You simply keep it professional and..." He let out a laugh in the middle. Kise couldn't figure out what it meant.

"I discovered that your personal life was no exception either, you either were with your sister, or just alone. Don't get me wrong, Kise-kun, you have a lot of admirers, you do have a ton of friends but it always seemed like you weren't close with them. You laugh with them, you smile with them but it's like you didn't smile with your eyes, and you never really let your guard down with them. And today, I discovered that there is someone in your life who you can completely trust, who you can be yourself with."

He tore his eyes off of the road to look back at Kise.

Kise's eyes were popping open and his brows were up, and noticed that the blond went back to noticing the various shapes back on the road. What he didn't know was that Kise's stomach was fluttering; his face was like that of a tomato.

The model let out a huff with a smile on his face. Aomine is the first person ever who didn't treat him like a celebrity but instead treated him like a human being. He knew, he just _knew_ , his heart will _never_ be his.

Akiyoshi brought his gaze back to the road.

"My point is, I'm happy for you, happy to see you genuinely happy with someone else." He smiled ever so fondly. "Also... Kind of proud of you." He laughed again, this time full of affection and pride. "No matter what age you are, it always takes courage to trust another person. So, your friendship with your friends is really nice."

He, then, heard some sniffles coming next to him. Casting his gaze back at Kise, he became completely startled. "Ki-Kise-kun, geez, why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?" He looked back and forth between the blond and the road. "Please...god...just stop crying."

"No... Aki-chan... I'm just..." He sniffled again.

"Damn it...tissues. We have tissues in the car. Use them." Akiyoshi frantically responded.

"Ah, sure." Grabbing a few tissues, Kise wiped his wet cheeks.

"I'm happy too, I feel so happy, Aki-chan." He mumbled, after he stopped crying.

"God, why do you have to cry then?" Akiyoshi shook his head.

"I just..." Kise's lips curled into a smile, his heart was thrashing in his rib cage. "—realized that I'm in way too deep..." His palms were feeling clammy.

"What?" Confusion came over Akiyoshi.

"And there will never be a way out... Not that I want one." Kise added, his mind full of a certain blue-haired teen.

"What are you talking about?!"

Kise started laughing jovially. Oh, how he wished Aomine to be there with him.

Taking out his cell phone, he decided to drop Aomine a text message.

 **"Aominecchi~ Don't ever get out of my heart (* ﾉ з ﾉ *)"**

 **"How can I?! I have a permanent residence there"**

 **"Chuuu~ ( ˘ ³˘) "**

 **"Chuu you too"**

 **"Oh my god! ∑(ﾟﾛﾟ〃) Aominecchi! You send me a chuu? ━Σ( ﾟ Д ﾟ |||)━ You never do that! ｡(*^▽^*)ゞ Chuu all over your face ( っ ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) σ(≧ε≦ｏ) ( 人 ^з^)- "**

 **"...Yeah, I'm never doing that again!"**

 **"｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ Dawww, Aominecchi, you're no fun! (*≧▽≦) ﾉｼ )) Chuu~ ～（ゝ。∂）"**

The blond was laughing. Various sensations were flowing through him... Affection, fondness, trust, admiration, and most importantly **_Love..._**

* * *

 **A/N: Hi guys! I'm sorry, I know this update is way too late compared to my usual update schedule.**

 **Tbh, I've been depressed over a lot of things in my life lately and didn't have enough enthusiasm to continue writing also I've gotten a lot busier. Writer's block also hit me and it sucks so hard. Just saying, my further chapters will be updated late as well. Sorry about this. I'm also trying my hardest to not give up on this fiction, I really hope I don't give up.**

 **Anyway, there are some things left to the reader's interpretation like whether Aomine knew what the flowers stood for or how did Momoi arrive at Kise's agency at the same moment when Aomine and Kise were there.**

 **I'll be honest about this particular "fight-slight-angst arc" I was really doubtful whether I should actually write this. Considering Aomine was a jerk to Kise (call it cliché) but some issues has to be tackled. Relationships are not always sunshine and rainbows, they require a lot of work.**

 **This has helped Aomine and Kise in many ways, they agreed to talk openly, decided to be considerate of each other, a lot of things about past became clear to them as well. I get the feeling that not everybody liked this "arc" but I don't regret this. This was essential to them.**

 **I call the chapters 18-23 an "arc" because it is filled with conflicts and fights later turning into understanding and trust.**

 **Also, things will move further in the following chapters and I promise it will be full of fluff ^_^ and also smut... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 **I'll stop rambling now! :D**

 **Thank you for reading guys, and I really hope you like this chapter :)**


	24. Each other's firsts

**Hey guys! Guess who is still alive?! Yup, me and so is this fiction! :)**  
 **I bet you lovely readers missed me ^^ Lol, jk who am I kidding?! xD**  
 **Anyway, I'll see you at the end note! xD Until then, enjoy the newest chapter :)**

* * *

A yawn escaped from Aomine's lips as he sauntered ahead, his footsteps dragging him forwards in a low and dull manner.

It was the middle of a weekday that Kise decided to meet up with him. Aomine couldn't believe the odd circumstance and was compelled to double-check the day on his calendar for a minute, as the blond took him by surprise. Curious, he questioned him, has he gotten free for a weekday to visit Tokyo? To which Kise said that he will explain when they meet. With that, Aomine found himself walking towards the park.

After arriving at the decided place, he spared a quick glance to his wrist watch which showed that the blond was late, as usual. No surprises there. He deposited himself in the nearby bench and retrieved the ball from his schoolbag. Waiting for his boyfriend was something he has gotten used to by now. Or maybe the one to be blamed here was he, himself, for he arrives early every time. Even so, it wasn't so bad since he thought he could just laze around.

Spinning the basketball on the tip of his index finger, he still mumbled a " _stupid Kise"_ under his breath.

Kise was, as usual, sprinting towards the park. How many times must he make Aomine wait? He moped over, although he was quite aware that Aomine must have arrived early.

Today marked the first time he was meeting Aomine after their lunch at the restaurant.

Since that little ordeal, things have gotten better between them. And also, since then, it has been quite some time that they have talked to each other properly. The blond was too busy with school but more importantly with work. Needless to say, he was excited.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he picked up a faster pace. In a couple of minutes he reached but slowed down as soon as his soft brown eyes landed on the mop of the navy-blue hair. He breathed in when he saw Aomine spinning the orange ball on his fingertips. _So cool_ , he mused, even though he was capable of doing such a task.

It was in that moment that he realized that he always does this; he reaches the place, he spots Aomine; he slows down to admire him like some stalker or a fan girl. The little notion had him scoffing.

He took a step closer to him but then, suddenly halted in his tracks when something popped into his mind. The little idea caused a mischievous smirk to appear on his face. Holding his breath in, he tip-toed towards the bench carefully, advancing silently as he could, like a predator towards his prey.

When he reached behind him, he exhaled that long held breath and swiftly covered his unsuspecting boyfriend's vision by putting his palms over those deep sapphire eyes.

Aomine was inevitably startled when the unexpected warmth flooded over his eyelids. "What the fuck?" He grunted out, placing his palm over the intruder's.

Changing the baritone of his voice just by little, Kise spoke, "Guess who?" whilst stifling a giggle.

Aomine's breath hitched, a warm smile pulling across his features. The warmth of those palms sunk deep into his heart through his eyes. The sweet voice he couldn't get enough off brought a bigger smile on his face. He felt the little sparks flowing through him.

"Hmmm, who could it be? I wonder..." He hummed, with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

Kise's shoulders shook lightly as he curbed an incoming laugh. Out of nowhere, a calloused palm, just like his, grabbed firmly onto his nape to tug him forward.

Aomine titled his head back and pulled Kise's neck towards him which resulted in his body to bend down until his own lips met a set of soft ones. Golden eyes widened from the unexpected kiss.

Pressing their lips more firmly together, Aomine arched backward to get better access to the pair of lips that he was longing to kiss. Kise's lashes slowly fluttered close, giving into the warm sensation.

Kissing Aomine was entirely a different experience for him every time. Sometimes it's warm, like sitting next to a fireplace on a cold winter evening when the warmth just seeps into your skin. Sometimes it's saccharine, and the taste of it would even put Murasakibara's sweets to shame. At times, it resembles fire. A kiss so passionate, all Kise can do is melt in his arms and then there are times like these, where Aomine grabs him and kisses him with no qualms. Kisses him leisurely and softly and it spins the blond's fluffy head around, frantically.

The way his tongue coils around his, the way his lips feels against his, the way Aomine caresses the inside of his mouth, the way he leaves those teasing little nibbles, the way he just kisses him, all of it shakes Kise up to his very core. No matter how he kisses him, those touches never fail to make him feel _loved_. Never fails to make him feel _wanted_.

But Aomine was no different, the feeling it invokes through him when he kisses Kise, leaves him feeling so vulnerable, so exposed, so open, he feels as though he could give everything he possess to Kise, give into any whim of his without any restraint whatsoever. And in the same sense, Kise feels like he could fight against the entire world for Aomine. He wondered, since when had he ever gotten in so deep? Since when had he even allowed one single person to hold so much power onto his very soul? Nevertheless, it was overwhelming to the _both_ of them.

After giving a few more satisfying pecks on his lips, Aomine let go of the blond.

"Hmmm, you taste sweet," He began in a rich deep voice, a soft smile plastered over his lips, "like the guy that I'm dating. So, I don't know, you tell me..." His words were laced with amusement.

The soft kisses lingered on Kise's lips, a warm fuzzy feeling was buzzing throughout him and along with the combination of Aomine's stupid smile, his heart was trashing wildly within the confines of his chest. To the navy haired man's disappointment, the warmth that lay over his eyelids faded as those palms retreated.

Sapphire orbs opened and were met with those lovely golden ones. Kise had a beautiful blush marring his sharp cheekbones.

"You look like an idiot, Kise." Aomine chuckled, saying the opposite of what he meant.

The said idiot took a few seconds to recover from the intensity of the kiss, the gentle smile, the warmth in those eyes, the raging heartbeats, in the end from everything... "P-pot calling the kettle black." He shot back, lifting up a yellow eyebrow. He proceeded to flick Aomine's forehead in slight annoyance.

"Oi!" Aomine barked, rubbing the irritating spot.

Kise released a short chuckle. He strode over, shrugged the blazer off his shoulders and then rolled his sleeves up, gearing up for the one-on-ones.

"So, now will you tell me how did you decide for a meet up in the middle of the week? You are always so busy during this time." Aomine asked.

Making a quick steal of the basketball, Kise watched as Aomine lunged forward to grab the orange ball but he was quick to dodge him.

"Hand me the ball, Kise."

"You always go first, Aominecchi. Let me go first today."

"Not before you answer my question."

Kise pouted slightly. He started spinning the ball on his fingers. "I took time off work. I convinced Aki-chan to re-schedule my appointments; I was amazed to see how quickly he agreed. He told me that I was working too hard and deserved a break." He stated, smiling a little. "Later, I found out that it was a convenient time for him as our exams are approaching." He rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about our exams." Aomine scratched his nape. "Have you started preparing for them?"

"Nope. Today, itself, I got some time off, Aominecchi. I have yet to start. What about you?"

"Nowhere near close, Kise." Aomine groaned. "What a pain. Anyway, let's just play. I am so ready to beat your ass." He commented, stretching his arms.

"I have a feeling that _I'm_ gonna beat _your_ ass today." Kise challenged.

Aomine gave him a humorous stare. "Huh, I did not know taking time off work can turn people insane."

The mocking tone of the tanned teen irritated Kise.

Frowning, the blond bounced the ball up and down and it wasn't long until a series of one-on-ones commenced between the couple.

The sound of running shoes on the asphalt and the bounces of the orange ball came to a halt.

"One more time, Aominecchi! One more time!"

Kise insisted, his words betraying his body as he rested his hands over his knees, panting heavily.

"H-hell no!"

Tucking the ball between his mid-section and arm, Aomine was trying to breathe in himself. He was in the middle of observing Kise's frame and was priding over the fact that his play has gotten a lot better. His moves have become faster now with increased precision, and this reflected as he scored more than usual today. A smile danced on his lips. It wouldn't take long for Kise to indeed beat his ass.

"We already played too much." Aomine replied. A loud rumble rose in his stomach. "And by the way, I'm fucking starving."

"Y-yeah, me too." Kise inhaled deeply, to get some more oxygen into his lungs. It wasn't until later when his eyes landed on Aomine that he even knew he had stopped breathing altogether.

The teen before him was dabbing the sheen of sweat that shimmered on his sun-kissed skin. The hem of the fabric lifted up to give a pair of golden eyes a perfect chance to peek underneath. Kise swallowed audibly when the caramel skin laced with taut abs were clenching around due to his rash intakes of air.

How would it feel to run his fingers across them? He fantasized in a daze. To feel that hot and smooth skin of his? To lick the said area, then to slowly drag his tongue downwards? Licking his lips, he let his mind wander around various set of imaginations, which if one were to put it in words were indecent and lewd.

Then he panted for a different reason entirely. He felt his throat parching up.

"Got some water?" Kise asked, sitting on the bench.

The blue-haired teen nodded in agreement. Fishing the bottle from his bag, he threw it towards Kise's direction.

Catching it effortlessly, the blond uncapped the bottle and began to take a few sips from it.

Now, the thing is, people think that Kise is just an oblivious dense person but he is perfectly capable of being astonishingly sharp. He was quite aware of Aomine's presence before they entered into a relationship, he was always aware when the sapphire eyes were on him, like they were piercing through him. But after Aomine confessed to him, he got a lot more perceptive, more vary of Aomine, more vary of his piercing eyes.

It didn't take long for him to realize that those sapphire eyes followed his every move.

Therefore, as of this moment, he _knew_ he was being stared at again. This little bit of knowledge alone was enough for his pulse to thrum faster. Sometimes, he couldn't understand why, but Aomine's gaze on him is enough for his body to get hotter; but then again, he can completely comprehend why...

He didn't even bother to cast a brief glance towards the tanned male but simply kept on keeping his eyes straight ahead and concentrated on drinking the liquid.

Subsequently, another idea for the day popped into his mind. As and when he started to spend a lot of time with Aomine, he came to learn the fact that Aomine perceives the little noises he makes into entirely something else, something not so innocent.

Licking his lips, he thought of using this to his advantage. He decided to play a little. Play with Aomine's patience, because for once, even his patience was running out.

He started off with something what one might call an experiment that being a deep hum ripping softly from his throat. He made it sound so inviting, it had bordered into a needy moan, like he wanted Aomine to jump him right then and there.

He discreetly peeked at the male before him. Aomine's ears sure were perked up and those eyes, those sapphire eyes of his turned into a, even deeper hue of blue. Damn, Kise knew this would be effective, but calculatedly, he wanted to push Aomine a little more. And so, to make things more enticing, a literal moan followed his antics.

That sound was enough to send shivers down Aomine's spine. What happened next was starting to get too much for the tanned male. The liquid Kise has been drinking oh so slowly dripped past his lips in an agonizing manner.

Aomine's gaze followed the little trail that cascaded down his jaw line followed by the juncture of his neck. The drops glistened on his pale skin causing him to growl deeply.

But before those drops could make their way into Kise's shirt thereby dampening the fabric, Aomine had already clenched his fist. Determinedly, he found himself wanting to make his own path across the porcelain skin or at least to trail the liquid back up. Not wanting to waste any more time, he did just that.

"Ack!"

A yelp elicited out of Kise as soon as he felt a warm and a wet flesh on his neck. Opening his closed eyes in partial confusion, he peered down only to be greeted by short navy hair and found the owner of it buried into his neck. "Aominecchi!" He shrieked, trying to put the bottle down but it fell out of his grasp, the contents of it spilling all over.

Even though he was anticipating _this_ , he has been desiring _this_ ; Aomine still achieved to catch him off guard.

Kise, then just couldn't help but throw his head back because goodness, Aomine's hot tongue was doing wonders on him. That heavenly tongue slid up, licking away the water. Those lips set on his neck firmly were pressing a mixture of soft and hard kisses.

Kise's lips twisted into a sly smirk, he seemed satisfied with how his little play of seduction worked. They worked like a charm. His fingers then travelled up and carded through navy-blue hair. Tugging at the short blue strands, fisting around them, Kise urged him to do more, to do so much more.

He didn't even mind that they were in a freakin' basketball court, all he knew in that moment was to get lost in the sensations he was receiving. Since when did he become so shameless? Was his fleeting thought.

The position Aomine was in, was a little uncomfortable. He was hunched down, his body bending towards Kise's neck but it didn't matter to him. He didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around Kise's waist, pulling him towards his body and bumping their frames together.

He was leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses on him. He sensed Kise quivering at the contact. How long had it been since he had given him kiss marks? Covered his neck in pretty possessive bruises? Now that Kise has taken time off work, Aomine was glad he could mark him as his own.

"Aomi-" Kise's half-moan died in his throat when those same lips began to suck hard on his skin. Warm breath tickled his neck; a bunch of goose bumps arose on his skin. His back arched beautifully pressing further into Aomine's frame. "God..." His eyes flew open as the pleasure intensified when a set of teeth grazed against his skin.

Was it Aomine's imagination or has Kise's neck gotten more sensitive? Kise didn't moan as much whenever he devoured his neck. He continued sucking on the flesh, bruising it easily with his kisses.

The blond's skin tasted sweet, he smelled sweet. His flesh between Aomine's teeth was full and satisfying. Aomine didn't stop until Kise let out another moan.

"Ao-mine...cchi..." Short pants followed those moans. The blue haired teen released a deep grunt as the needy voice inflamed him.

In no time, he advanced towards those lips which were parted and sealed his lips against his. He nipped at the bottom plump lip, licking along the soft flesh. Kise kissed him back with the same passion by slipping his tongue inside Aomine's mouth. Exploring the inside of his mouth, feeling his teeth, the deepest part of that wet cavern, Kise let out a moan again. Yup, he was so sure, that kissing Aomine leaves him absolutely weak, good thing he was seated.

Grudgingly, Aomine broke the kiss, for the sole intention of gazing at his face.

Flushed pale cheeks, dazed topaz eyes, swollen red lips and ragged breaths was what he was welcomed with.

He was so pleased with the fact that he was the reason behind this. His eyes travelled down and perceived a side of Kise's neck that was marred with beautiful blue and red bruises.

He gulped, seeing the other side of his inviting neck, perfectly immaculate. A literal guttural sound erupted from him. "You know what?" He began in an irresistible rough voice and exposed the unmarked side of Kise's neck by sliding the collar of his shirt halfway to the side, exposing his creamy shoulder.

"W-what?" Kise asked, breathless, his golden orbs half lidded.

"You should just walk around with your neck exposed with my hickeys on it." Aomine began, his voice raw with need.

He locked his eyes with amber ones. Kise bit his lower lip harshly, enough to draw blood. He had to since Aomine's voice dropped down to this deep husky tone that had him wanting to moan lewdly. Aomine, then, flashed a smirk. Another one of the things that drove Kise crazy, his cocky smirks. And that smirk itself was the reason behind a shiver that ran through the blond.

"Blue and red." Aomine growled out.

In an agonizingly slow way, a tanned finger lifted up to trail across a pale collarbone.

Kise's lips were trembling, his knees were shaking.

"Possessive and pretty."

Then he dragged that one finger which was the reason behind Kise's held breath, but almost wanting to make him throw his head back in the sensations that were coursing through his veins.

"They look so good on you, Kise." He added further, licking his lips.

Amber eyes followed that swipe of his tongue. Trembles ran through him as Aomine's fervid touches slid up his Adam's apple.

"Let the world know you belong to me." His voice was laced with dominance, demanding obedience.

Kise stared, mesmerized by those deep pools resembling the midnight ocean.

"Let your fan girls know that you can never be theirs." The finger came to settle on Kise's lips.

When the blond felt that little finger settling against his lips, a moan was drawn out from him.

Aomine's teeth grounded when he heard the wanton whine.

"Let 'em know that you like this... like when a guy is touching you..."

He recovered in a jiffy, smirking devilishly.

"That...you like _me_ touching...you."

Kise's heart was palpitating so loud he could hear the ringing of it in his ears. Pressing his lips gently into a kiss against the pad of his finger, he parted his lips.

"Then why don't you touch me more? Hmmm?" He kissed it again.

"Marr my neck with more of your pretty bruises? Sink your teeth into my flesh, so much so that bite marks appear on it? So much so that the marks won't fade away...ever..."

Flicking out his tongue boldly, he gave a long swipe over Aomine's finger.

"Fuck! You're so hot, Kise."

Aomine's brows scrunched up, almost not believing the sexy sight in front of him.

"Mmmmm," He moaned a little, "So are you, Aominecchi... So _fucking_ hot." Kise kissed his finger again. He batted his golden lashes alluringly, for he knows it works on Aomine every time.

True enough, that little trick did work on him because the next thing he knew, he was being thrown on the bench. His back collided with the cool metal but fortunately, it didn't hurt him.

Aomine wasted no time in clambering on top of the blond. He spread the pale long limbs apart to settle in between them.

Looming over him, his cerulean orbs stared into molten honey eyes, trying to take in the beauty in front of him who wanted him.

Bracing his arms on either of Kise's sides, his lips curled into a smirk. "Be careful what you wish for blondie, you don't know what I'm capable of."

"I don't think you know what I'm capable of." The blondie purred mockingly, clasping his arms around Aomine's neck. His eyes were twinkling with mirth.

In a flash, all coherent thoughts flew out of Aomine when Kise's lips came crashing over his.

The kiss was far from gentle, far from romantic. It was frenzied, it was fervid, it was bruising, it was hot. It was so hot that it was enough for Aomine's head to spin around.

Their teeth collided with each other, tongues fought over dominance, later melding into one.

Aomine bit his lips, he nibbled at them, couldn't stop himself from swelling them up further, from turning them into a deeper shade of red. The softness of Kise's lips, the taste of his mouth was driving him absolutely insane.

Releasing the kiss, he latched onto Kise's neck.

The hands which were holding onto the bench, grabbed Kise's shirt. Aomine slowly loosened his tie and popped open a couple of top buttons of his uniform. The blond gasped in harshly when he felt the cold air hitting his warm skin. Aomine's mouth salivated when a beautiful creamy skin was revealed before him, completely bare.

He leaned down and pressed one single kiss onto the neck. Kise tilted his neck aside to give Aomine better access. Seeing the invitation, Aomine buried his face onto his neck and began peppering kisses onto the column of it. A feeling of satisfaction crept inside of him when Kise's heaving chest touched his; he loved how the blond was enjoying the assault on his neck.

Not long after, his teeth sunk into the porcelain skin. A moan was flared out of Kise, a loud one, the kind that reverberated inside Aomine. It surged him on further. He bit the skin, not enough to draw blood but enough to leave visible marks. Just like his boyfriend has asked him to do so. His heart was out of control, a smirk appeared on his lips when he earned a moan of his name falling from Kise's mouth again. He swore to god – the pants, the noises, the whines, the moans coming out of Kise was having this crazy strong effect on him, the kind of effect that encouraged him to eat him up entirely.

Kissing, licking, sucking and biting on his neck, shoulder, and collarbone, Aomine didn't – _couldn't_ hold back.

Neither could Kise, as he himself started to kiss Aomine's tanned neck. He sucked on the flesh harshly. It was harder than he thought, making a visible hickey on his skin. But he was adamant. After successfully making one, he gazed at the mark jovially.

His fingers travelled towards Aomine's nape. "-mine-cchi..." He drawled peppering Aomine's neck with more hickeys. When Aomine's teeth grazed through his jaw line, he lost sight of his rationale and threw his head back. He dragged his fingers upwards to tangle themselves in the tufts of blue hair; he played with it absent-mindedly, seemingly lost in pleasure.

"Ahhhh, m-more..." Begged Kise, his voice coming hoarsely, out in the lowest of whispers which wasn't unheard by the man who was onto his neck.

Involuntarily, he wrapped his long legs around Aomine's waist. Aomine bucked against him, pressing Kise's body firmly against the surface.

Kise rolled his hips against Aomine's, what he didn't plan was the shudder that jolted through his body, which came from the friction originating from his clothed half-erection rubbing against Aomine's which he assumed was half-hard as well. His eyes snapped open, his mouth went widely ajar when this time Aomine grinded back, a gasp getting caught in his throat.

God, this wasn't good but at the same time, it felt so good. His nails clawed across Aomine's back. Kise jerked forward again, just enough to gain that friction again. His back arched in pleasure.

"Aominecchi, so good...feels so good." He panted out, his brows knitted together in need. He was starting to feel light-headed.

The said male hissed in such a contact, his arousal was pooling downwards in frenzy.

"Fuck, f-fuck, Kise!" Aomine's voice was course, bordering on seductive that encouraged Kise to grind himself more and more. But, much to Kise's disappointment all their actions ceased when Aomine suddenly stopped himself and abruptly pulled back.

"Wha-?" Kise tried to make sense of what just happened or lack thereof. His eyes met Aomine's again.

Blue eyes stared at him for the longest time, his breathing uneven as he tried to concentrate on what they were doing and where.

"S-sorry, Kise but let's stop here." He unwillingly declared, withdrawing back. He ran his hand over his face, trying to calm his raging hormones down, trying to regain control of his breathing.

"But-I-we?" Kise tried again, lying on his back.

Aomine heaved a dull sigh, not looking at the blond who was now propped up on his elbow.

"We, uh..." He breathed in, "don't have a lot of privacy here."

"Oh..." Kise said, blinking in understanding. He exhaled as the tension was starting to leave his body. He rested his head on Aomine's shoulder. "Yeah, you're right. We got carried away, Aominecchi." He was still breathing hard, still gaining control over his heated body, over his thrumming pulse. _Dammit, what timing_ , he groaned.

Aomine's face fell down. "I-I just remembered something..."

"What? Is there something wrong?" Kise grew serious, lifting his head to look at him.

"No, not really..." Aomine heaved a sigh again. "You remember the time when you finally kissed me after I confessed to you?"

"Of course I do, Aominecchi. Why?" A little blush crossed his face.

"Well as it turns out, Imayoshi saw us kissing." He stated with a little frown on his face.

"What?!" Kise screeched.

"Yeah... He then later confronted me about it. I forgot to mention it to you." Aomine added.

"Oh... So he knows we are together as well? What did he say?" Kise chewed nervously.

"Don't worry," Aomine glanced at him from the corner of his eye, sensing his scepticism. "That evil glasses is also dating another guy." He then informed him that Imayoshi is dating Sakurai. Taking a proper seat next to the tanned male, Kise pulled a face. He was intrigued how they would be together but was fine as he knew opposites can attract. More than that, he was glad that people didn't have a problem with men dating each other.

When a good few minutes passed, Aomine inquired, "Anyway, aren't you hungry?" Snapping Kise out of his reverie.

"Yes. I am..." But still kinda horny, Kise dismissed the later thought while giving an affirmative nod to Aomine.

"Y'know," Aomine scooted a little closer to him, his hot breath ghosting over Kise's cheek. "I wouldn't mind taking you back to my place. I'll have you know I wouldn't stop like I did now." Placing his hand over Kise's thigh, he rubbed it along the inner seam of his pants. It was only a minute ago that Kise got in control of himself but this, Aomine's hands over his thighs was almost too arousing for him.

As Aomine kept on stroking his thighs, Kise managed to stifle a whimper; his toes curled in his shoes. Aomine drawled up his hand excruciatingly slowly. "I could have laid you out on my bed, Kise." He seductively said and Kise gulped thickly to moisturize his dry throat but it didn't help him as Aomine's following words had him out of sorts.

"I would have undressed you, made you scream my name over and over, until we were completely spent." His eyes were narrowed as they were locked onto to the blond. "Fuck! I would have done you so good, baby." He pressed a soft kiss on the length of his pale neck. "So, _so_ good." He emphasized again, rubbing his thigh with a firmer grip.

It didn't escape his periphery the moment Kise arched his back, didn't escape his periphery when Kise bit his lip harshly, neither did it escape how Kise's thighs were trembling beneath his touch. For the kicker, Aomine decided to move further by caressing his inner thigh which was dangerously close to his very much clothed cock.

When he felt Aomine's feverish touch sliding further up, Kise settled his hand atop Aomine's that was caressing his thigh, moving along his sneaky ministrations. A moan fell from Kise's lips. "Ahhh..." Fading into a soft gasp. "-minecchi..." His ears then caught a chuckle coming from next to him.

And just like that, Aomine stopped the sensuous rubbing, almost withdrawing his hand. Kise let out a high disappointed whine, not able to decipher whether he was relieved or disappointed at that moment.

The tanned teen, instead chose to simply place his hand over his knee.

"Your... thighs are sensitive, aren't they?"

Kise's head whipped back at him, now fully understanding that Aomine continued on purpose. Aomine smirked, leaning in closer to his ear.

"You think you can be a tease, but don't think I can be as well?" He chuckled again.

"I knew you seduced me before but well, as it turned out...I was just putty in your hands, played right into them." He planted a kiss over Kise's jaw line.

The blond let out a gasp. He didn't expect Aomine to find out.

"Well at least I got to know one of your sensitive spots, guess I'll be using that to my advantage." He laughed a little.

"Hmmm..." Kise hummed appreciatively, "I don't think..." shooting him one of his seductive looks with his lashes lidded. "I'll be stopping you then, Aominecchi."

"Heh! Seems you enjoyed a bit too much... Do you uh... want to enjoy even more?" The slyness in Aomine's words had Kise staring at him.

"Don't worry. I did tell you we can take things slow." Aomine assured him in a soft voice, retreating his palm to ruffle his soft locks.

"That's..." Vibrant red danced across Kise's face. "I mean...uh..." His heart was thrumming; he imagined himself in all the things Aomine had just vocalized earlier.

"Aominecchi..." Kise whispered, looking away. "I...uh, I wanna have sex with you too."

Aomine inhaled sharply at the blatant declaration. But what Kise said next seemed to calm him.

"B-but yo-you know... Eventually..." gushed Kise.

"Y-yeah..." Aomine halted. "Fuck!" He slapped his arm over his eyes. Kise's words almost made him hard again. "That... 'eventually' saved you..." He murmured. Kise glanced at him with wide eyes. "For now." He threw a wink at him.

Kise thought it would have been fine even if he wasn't saved, even if it was for now. But he contemplated that there was a part of him that didn't want to have sex so soon. It wasn't that he didn't want it, it's just... _I want to take my time. I don't want to rush into anything._ Were his thoughts, it also wasn't like he didn't trust Aomine, he trusts him, incredibly so but maybe that is all the more reason for him to not to rush. After all, neither he nor Aomine is running anywhere. So, he concluded that it's alright for them to take some more time.

"Hey..." Said his boyfriend and turned his face closer to him, "Do you like playing with my hair?" He leant in for a kiss.

Kise hummed softly. "Yeah, I do. They're so soft to touch and it just feels nice, Aominecchi." He returned the kiss, smiling in it.

Aomine couldn't help the own little smile that spread across his face. "And I love it when you do _that_ _..._ "

"Do what?" Kise stared at his lips before glancing at his eyes.

Tanned arms snaked around his waist. "Smile when you kiss me."

Kise's heart skipped a beat. As his response, he kissed him deeply. After a few seconds, he rested his forehead against Aomine's and locked gazes with him for a while, for it was filled with warmth and sweetness. They kissed once more and entwined their fingers together.

"Come on, let's go. We'll eat at Maji's." Aomine smiled, standing up.

After straightening up, they grabbed their belongings and began walking leisurely out of the park while holding hands.

Kise felt extremely content, he wish he could spend every day of his life like this...with Aomine, on a nice sunny day after playing some ball. His lips turned upwards into a smile.

Aomine glanced at his boyfriend. "You know, Kise, I wanted to ask you..."

"Hm?" Golden eyes peeked at him.

"You do know how two guys have sex?"

"Yes, I do." Kise answered, squinting his eyes at him, and earned a squeeze from Aomine.

Aomine was puzzled for a moment. He wondered whether—

"H-has your cherry been popped already?" He stared at him, but was taken aback when he saw Kise laugh loudly. It only served to annoy him.

"W-why the fuck are you laughing?"

But Kise didn't seem to answer him because he was busy clutching at his stomach.

"A-Aominecchi, I just-" He paused but laughed all over again. Seeing the tanned male's face scowling, he tried to stop his loud cackles. "I can't believe that you just asked me, 'Has my cherry been popped? who would even ask in such a way?!" He bristled, followed by a smirk that landed on his lips.

Aomine frowned, his face getting warmer.

"And no, to answer your question my cherry has not been "popped" yet..." He double-quoted him with his fingers, suppressing another laugh, "At least not yet. Why are you asking? If I wasn't a virgin, wouldn't that have been okay with you?"

"What? No, I didn't mean like that." Aomine quickly said. "I just...want to be your...first, I guess..." He looked away because he knew his face was flushing but he hoped that Kise couldn't see it. But much to his chagrin, the blond did see the blush on his face, spreading all the way up to his ears.

Then it all dawned on Kise.

He smiled fondly and tightened his hold on Aomine's fingers. "Yes, Aominecchi you will be my first. And what about you? Have you had sex before?" He questioned but felt a sudden stab of jealousy tugging at him. Aomine likes boobs and with his looks he might have been with someone else. Shaking down the feeling, he stared at sapphire eyes in silent plea.

"Nah, never had it." He said blandly.

Relief flooded through Kise, the smile on his face almost giving it away.

"Hey, wait, does this mean I'm your first kiss?" Aomine turned his head around, almost too excited.

This time, Aomine saw Kise's face bursting into red. He didn't blush at the question of virginity but blushes at this.

"I..." The blond began, looking away from him shyly.

"Holy shit! I am?" Aomine sounded flabbergasted but felt way too giddy about this.

"Yeah, w-well... I-I'm your first too..." Kise had no idea why he sounded defensive; it was silly of him.

"I..." Now it was Aomine who grew flustered. "Yeah, we're both each other's firsts."

Kise locked his eyes with Aomine's; a grin broke out on their faces. And then they were laughing, laughing without a care in the world, laughing because they knew that they were a bunch of idiots.

The sun was setting in, soft orange and yellow hues danced across the sky, the beautiful colours mixing in together casted upon the land of the Earth but none of that seemed to register into Kise's mind.

Because this was the moment, as he was walking with Aomine, that Kise decided he wants to stay this way forever. Stay with him and experience all his firsts with Aomine. When the time passes by, when the future turns into their present, when the seasons change, when the years change, he wants all his firsts with Aomine, wants to experience all the life can offer with Aomine by his side.

He wants to stay with him while they laugh together over the smallest of things, holding hands contentedly, with a brightest smile on their faces.

He wants to stay with him where everything feels so peaceful and vibrant that he wants to burst out with joy and the love that always spreads through him when Aomine is next to him.

(TBC)

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 **A/N: So... I'm so sorry this update took so long :( My job has kept be awfully busy and I don't get much time to work on my fic :(**  
 **As for the further chapters I am sure it will take months again. *sighs* Please don't give up on this fic, m'kay? ;-; I'll try my hardest and update it as soon as I can :)**

 **With this chapter, things have calmed down and returned to normalcy :) Kise and Aomine's feelings have taken a deeper turn and I can't get over how so in love they are with each other *swoons* Hahaha 3**

 **Starting from next chapter, things are gonna get a lot more interesting, different characters will also make an appereance and the plot will be moving further :) So, I'm hoping everyone will look forward to the next chapter.**

 **I hope you guys like this chapter and please leave a comment :) Let me know your opinions, thanks everyone :)**

 **Have a good day/night~**


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